Blanding Health Mart Pharmacy Settles False Claims for $8M

Jacksonville, Fla.-based Blanding Health Mart Pharmacy has agreed to pay $8.4 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly submitted or caused the submission of false claims to the government, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced earlier this week.

The government had alleged that Blanding sought reimbursement for compounding pharmaceutical prescriptions that were not medically necessary and were written by physicians that had never actually seen the patients.  The government agreed to accept $8,441,107 to resolve these allegations.

The False Claims Act allows private parties with knowledge of fraud against the government to sue on behalf of the government and share in any recovery.  Had there been a whistleblower in this case, he or she would have been entitled to up to 30 percent of the settlement.

The Chanler Group, in association with the Hirst Law Group, represents whistleblowers who take action under the False Claims Act to report fraud committed against the federal and state governments.  We have years of experience representing whistleblower clients who expose every kind of fraud against the government, including health care fraud, contract fraud, and tax fraud.  Read more about our expertise in False Claims Act cases and how you can take action.