California Pharmacy Fails to Defeat Drug Billing Fraud Claims

California-based AmeriPharma must continue to face a claim from three whistleblowers alleging that it defrauded Medicare by billing for a more expensive drug than what it actually gave to patients.

Whistleblowers and former AmeriPharma technicians Trisha King, Teneca Cosby, and Kris Cerezo adequately alleged that the company pushed pharmacists to use an electronic system to improperly overcharge the government, Judge Anne Hwang of the US District Court for the Central District of California said in a Tuesday order.

The court also said the whistleblowers could move forward with a claim that Harper’s Pharmacy Inc., which does business as AmeriPharma, engaged ...