Are you an employee of a pain-management clinic, drug testing facility, or physician that makes opioid prescriptions? If you are witnessing fraud or abuse in the distribution of opioids, you may be able to become a whistleblower under a new U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Prescription Interdiction & Litigation (PIL) Task Force.
On February 27, 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the creation of the Department of Justice PIL Task Force, an effort to fight the prescription opioid crisis. The PIL Task Force’s goal is to use the DOJ’s law enforcement resources to go after those who are prescribing and manufacturing and dispensing opioids illegally. This will become a whistleblower issue because the DOJ is extending the benefits and rights of the False Claims Act—the federal law that allows for whistleblowers to be compensated and protected for reports of fraud—to whistleblowers in the medical field.
If you work in the medical field and are witnessing opioid distribution abuse, you may now be able to attain your compensation based on a tip under this new PIL program. To attain compensation, you will require the help of an experienced whistleblower attorney and advice regarding whether the conduct you have observed constitutes fraud.
The DOJ’s PIL press release stated in part:
Over the past year, the Department has vigorously fought the prescription opioid crisis, and we are determined to continue making progress. Today, we are opening a new front in the war on the opioid crisis by bringing all of our anti-opioid efforts under one banner,” said Attorney General Sessions. “We have no time to waste. Every day, 180 Americans die from drug overdoses. This epidemic actually lowered American life expectancy in 2015 and 2016 for the first time in decades, with drug overdose now the leading cause of death for Americans under age 50. These are not acceptable trends and this new task force will make us more effective in reversing them and saving Americans from the scourge of opioid addiction.”
The PIL Task Force will combat the opioid crisis at every level of the distribution system. At the manufacturer level, the PIL Task Force will use all available criminal and civil remedies available under federal law to hold opioid manufacturers accountable for unlawful practices. The PIL Task Force will build on and strengthen existing Department of Justice initiatives to ensure that opioid manufacturers are marketing their products truthfully and in accordance with Food and Drug Administration rules.
The Department will also use all criminal and civil tools at its disposal to hold distributors such as pharmacies, pain management clinics, drug testing facilities, and individual physicians accountable for unlawful actions.
The PIL Task Force will use criminal and civil actions to ensure that distributors and pharmacies are obeying Drug Enforcement Administration rules designed to prevent diversion and improper prescribing. It will use the False Claims Act and other tools to crack down on pain-management clinics, drug testing facilities, and physicians that make opioid prescriptions.
What Should You Do if You are Considering a Whistleblower Claim?
Are you considering filing an opioid whistleblower case under this new PIL program? To attain your compensation, you will require the help of an experienced whistleblower attorney to decide whether the conduct you have observed constitutes fraud. Evidence gathering, dealing with the federal government’s attorneys, important deadlines, and filing requirements make your representation both complex and time-sensitive.
Call Barrett Law now at (800) 707-9577 if you think you may be an opioid whistleblower.
Having expert legal advice by your side can mean the difference between receiving your share of a whistleblower judgment and losing your career and livelihood. Call our seasoned Mississippi Whistleblower Lawyer today.
