An Italian drugs supplier bribed doctors and pharmacists across the country to issue bogus prescriptions in return for cash and sex with Colombian prostitutes, PharmaTimes writes. Forty four people, including medics, pharmacists and wholesaler employees across south and central Italy have been held, some under house arrest, in connection with the $12 million scam.

The health staff are believed to have pocketed 5 percent of the cost of prescriptions in return for inflating bill sent by suppliers to the Italian health service. According to La Repubblica newspaper, representatives of “various pharmaceutical companies” were also involved in the scam, but it did not elaborate on what role they played.

The investigations revealed a “picture of grave and very precise accusations, which are particularly worrying given the number of professionals involved,” according to a senior investigator in the case.

Wiretaps revealed crooked medics calling Farmaceutici T’s, a drug supplier at the center of the investigation, to express their gratitude for the cash – and, according to Italian newspapers - their satisfaction with the live entertainment. Many false prescriptions were made out in the names of an unsuspecting group of nuns at a convent near Rome. And the prostitutes were hired by a TV celebrity.

Earlier this year, there were bribery reports involving officials in Italy’s medicines regulatory agency Aifa, the Italian Agency for Pharmaceuticals, and pharma lobbyists had been arrested after police found evidence money had changed hands in exchange for falsifying clinical data required for drug licences (back story).

Italian health minister Ferruccio Fazio says the doctors and pharmacists involved would have their licenses suspended, but stressed they represent only a small minority of practicing health professionals in Italy. “We’re talking about only around 50 individuals. In the whole sector there are over 100,000.”

Source: PharmaTimes