Pennsylvania-based pharmacy to pay $825K for 5 years of false Medicare claims

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (WTAJ) -- A Pennsylvania-based pharmacy and its owner will have to pay big to resolve liability allegations under the False Claims Act.

West End Services, Inc., based in Allentown, and its owner, Christopher Leon, agreed to pay $825,000 to the federal government to resolve allegations of billing Medicare for medications that were never dispensed, United States Attorney David Metcalf announced.

Metcalf alleged the company billed Medicare from January 2014 to February 2019 for medicines never dispensed that included Latuda, Humira, Abilify, Seroquel, Truvada and others.

“Pharmacy fraud remains a priority for our office and taxpayer dollars should be spent on needed medications, not wasted on fraud and abuse,” U.S. Attorney Metcalf said. “Pharmacies and pharmacists have a