New York Paralegal Blog

Global Health Care Company Abbott Laboratories Inc. has pleaded guilty and agreed to pay $1.5 billion to resolve its criminal and civil liability arising from the company’s unlawful promotion of the prescription drug Depakote for uses not approved as safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Justice Department announced today.

MINEOLA, NY - Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced today that a Hempstead police officer has been charged with selling opiate-based prescription painkillers following a long-term investigation by the District Attorney’s Office.Brian Jones

PHILADELPHIA—Christopher Vassalluzzo, D.O., 47, of New Hope, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to participating in a conspiracy to operate an office that was, in fact, a “pill mill” that distributed millions of prescription controlled substance diet drugs outside a professional practice. Vassalluzzo’s office, where he had others operate the pill mill while he worked at local hospitals, was located at 3000 Holme Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia. In addition to the conspiracy to distribute controlled substances charge, Vassalluzzo pleaded guilty to mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud, structuring, aggravated structuring, conspiracy to commit tax evasion, and tax evasion. Vassalluzzo was distributing prescription controlled substance diet drugs outside a professional practice. This illegal enterprise generated more than five million dollars in cash. In addition to admitting his guilt, Vassalluzzo has agreed to forfeit a beach home in New Jersey, a timeshare in Florida, and a...

NEW YORK, NY (November 13, 2008) – Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that two of the largest pharmacy chains in the United States – CVS and Rite-Aid – have entered into agreements with his office to provide New York customers with prescription medication instructions in their primary language. With these agreements, CVS and Rite-Aid, which also owns Eckerd and Genovese pharmacies, will counsel all pharmacy customers about prescription information in their own language and provide written translations in Spanish, Chinese, Italian, Russian, French, and Polish. Attorney General Cuomo initiated an undercover investigation into the policies and procedures of pharmacies after receiving and reviewing complaints that pharmacies routinely fail to advise non-English speaking customers in a language that allows them to understand the purpose, dosage, and side-effects of their medications. New York law requires pharmacists to personally provide information about prescription drugs...