Baker: Ga. Taxpayers To Get $21M From Fraudulent Drug Giant

Georgia taxpayers will receive $21 million from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer following a federal criminal investigation into the company's sales activities, Attorney General Thurbert Baker announced today.

Baker said that the settlement money could provide health coverage for almost 9,000 uninsured Georgia children. The funds could also cover all the treatment costs for the Georgians between 18 and 44 who suffer from cancer.

"This agreement is critical to preserving the integrity of the Medicaid program," Baker said. "Kickback schemes and off-label marketing campaigns drive up improper or unnecessary prescriptions, resulting in increased payments by Medicaid and a corresponding hit for Georgia taxpayers footing the bill.”

The $21 million payout is part of a larger $2.3 billion settlement between Pfizer and United States Justice Department. The settlement -- the largest ever in a federal health care fraud case -- followed an extensive investigation into Pfizer's prescription drug promotion programs.

To read more about the Justice Department's investigation, click here.