WASHINGTON: US authorities slapped 412 doctors, nurses and other medical professionals with fraud charges Thursday, many for overprescribing opioids that have stoked an expanding national addiction crisis. The charges involve doctors and others accused of operating pill mills that pump heavily addictive opioids like oxycodone into the streets through illegal prescription schemes. In all, government losses on false billings in the fraud schemes totaled $1.3 billion, the Justice Department said. ‘Criminal enterprises’“Too many trusted medical professionals like doctors, nurses and pharmacists have chosen to violate their oaths and put greed ahead of their patients,” Sessions said. Since 2007 the government has been cracking down on hospitals, clinics and medical professionals accused of bilking government insurance programs.

Source: Manila Times July 14, 2017 04:30 UTC