Psychiatrists With Ties to AstraZeneca Resign From Texas State Hospital

By  ED SILVERMAN Bloomberg NewsTwo psychiatrists at a Texas state hospital have resigned after being told they would face disciplinary actions for accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in speaking and consulting fees from AstraZeneca AZN +1.58% while also promoting one of its drugs to state officials, according to a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of State Health Services.The psychiatrists allegedly violated various department rules as a result of their relationship to the drug maker, which involved efforts to ensure the Seroquel XR antipsychotic would be placed on the state formulary and prescribed by state physicians, according to letters sent to the physicians by the department. A formulary is a list of preferred drugs for which insurance coverage is made.The physicians were investigated in conjunction with a lawsuit that was filed last October by the Texas Attorney General, a department spokeswoman writes us. The Attorney General alleged AstraZeneca illegally marketed its Seroquel antipsychotic for unapproved uses, paid kickbacks to physician and state health officials, and subsequently caused the state Medicaid program to overpay for the medicine.The lawsuit notes that people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder were more likely to be uninsured and not able to afford Seroquel, therefore relying on state health programs, according to an earlier report on this matter. As a result, AstraZeneca anticipated a “signifi...
Source: PharmaGossip - Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Source Type: blogs