According to the indictment, after receiving money and other utilities from scientific representatives, general practitioners prescribed drugs without the knowledge of their patients but with the complicity of pharmacists.
The alleged drug scam worth around 20 million euros
BARI - One hundred and one indictments, one plea bargain, four acquittals (two of which for death) and five initiations of proceedings with abbreviated rite: thus concluded the preliminary hearing in Bari of 111 defendants accused of having taken part, between 2000 and 2003, in an alleged 20 million euro pharma-scam against the national health service.
This was decided by the investigating judge of the Court of Bari Antonio Lovecchio by accepting the requests of the prosecutor Ciro Angelillis.
There are among the defendants area leaders and scientific informants of well-known pharmaceutical companies, including multinationals, general practitioners and pharmacists. They are accused, for various reasons, of criminal association aimed at the fraud of corruption, forgery, money laundering and comparison.
According to the indictment, after receiving money and other utilities from scientific representatives, general practitioners prescribed drugs without the knowledge of their patients but with the complicity of pharmacists. These, after removing the punches from the medicines, proceeded to throw the packs in the trash: in this way they would also get rid of life-saving drugs that had a unit price of up to 700 euros per pack.
• On the trial the ax of the prescription
The Gazette at midday 6/30/2008
