Attorney General Jeff Sessions today announced the formation
of the Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit, a new Department of Justice pilot
program to utilize data to help combat the devastating opioid crisis that is
ravaging families and communities across America.
Speaking at the Columbus Police Academy today, Attorney
General Sessions said that the new Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit will
focus specifically on opioid-related health care fraud using data to identify
and prosecute individuals that are contributing to this prescription opioid
epidemic.
Additionally, as part of the program, the Department will
fund twelve experienced Assistant United States Attorneys for a three year term
to focus solely on investigating and prosecuting health care fraud related to
prescription opioids, including pill mill schemes and pharmacies that
unlawfully divert or dispense prescription opioids for illegitimate purposes.
The following districts have been selected to participate in
the program:
Middle District of
Florida,
Eastern District
of Michigan,
Northern District
of Alabama,
Eastern District
of Tennessee,
District of
Nevada,
Eastern District
of Kentucky,
District of
Maryland,
Western District
of Pennsylvania,
Southern District
of Ohio,
Eastern District
of California,
Middle District of
North Carolina, and
Southern District
of West Virginia.
In his speech, the Attorney General discussed the new
program:
“First, I am announcing a new data analytics program – the
Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit. I have created this unit to focus
specifically on opioid-related health care fraud using data to identify and
prosecute individuals that are contributing to this opioid epidemic. This sort
of data analytics team can tell us important information about prescription opioids—like
which physicians are writing opioid prescriptions at a rate that far exceeds
their peers; how many of a doctor's patients died within 60 days of an opioid
prescription; the average age of the patients receiving these prescriptions;
pharmacies that are dispensing disproportionately large amounts of opioids; and
regional hot spots for opioid issues.
“With this data in hand, I am also assigning 12 experienced
prosecutors to focus solely on investigating and prosecuting opioid-related
health care fraud cases in a dozen locations around the country where we know
enforcement will make a difference in turning the tide on this epidemic. These
prosecutors, working with FBI, DEA, HHS, as well as our state and local
partners, will help us target and prosecute these doctors, pharmacies, and
medical providers who are furthering this epidemic to line their pockets. These
prosecutors will be based in several states across the country, including
Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, and right here in Southern Ohio.
“With these new resources, we will be better positioned to
identify, prosecute, and convict some of the individuals contributing to these
tens of thousands of deaths a year. The Department is determined to attack this
opioid epidemic, and I believe these resources will make a difference.”
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