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By Evelyn Pringle (about the author)
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"Some state employees were paid up to $2,000 for speaking in their official capacities at drug-company sponsored events," Mr Jones said. "It is illegal for a public employee to accept honorariums and to consult with industry without permission, yet it was happening openly, " he explained.
When he went to his superiors with his report, Mr Jones says, "I was limited, shut down, ordered to limit my investigation and ultimately threatened when I refused to set aside what I was finding."
"They maintained a deliberate ignorance of what was going on, they did not want to know," he said, "the word came down to kill my investigation and rein me in."
He refused to be reined in and continued his investigation on his own time. When he finally went public with his findings to the New York Times, Mr Jones was fired. He has since filed a Whistleblower lawsuit.
Psychiatrist, Dr Stefan Kruszewski, was hired by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Program Integrity in the Department of Public Welfare to oversee the mental health and substance abuse programs.
During his investigation, Dr Kruszewski uncovered serious abuses, including the deaths of four children and one adult while in state custody, due to substandard care and the off-label prescribing of atypical antipsychotics.
The people most vulnerable to medicating for profit were the disabled, dependent children in state care, the prison population, and children hooked into the state juvenile justice system.
In June 2003 Dr Kruszewski, traveled to an out-of-state inpatient facility that housed 24 children from Pennsylvania whose placement in the center had been facilitated by the Pennsylvania Office of Medical Assistance and whose oversight was, in part, the responsibility of the Bureau of Program Integrity.
"The reasons for that trip," he said, "was another unexpected death of a child."
On July 9, 2003, Dr Kruszewski's written preliminary assessment on the investigation revealed children who were severely overmedicated with antipsychotics, antidepressants and anticonvulsants were housed in deplorable living arrangements and receiving 'treatment' that often violated their emotional, mental and physical well-being. The investigation also revealed that children were being sexually abused by staff personnel.
Dr Kruszewski recommended the removal of the children from the facility and also advised his superiors to consider removing children and adults from several other facilities "in order to protect other innocent individuals from morbid and mortal consequences of severe over-medication, including chemical restraints; emotional, physical and sexual abuse; seclusion; and dirty and inadequate living conditions," he advised.
Dr Kruszewski was fired in July 2003 when he refused to be silenced after his discoveries.
In his whistleblower lawsuit against Pennsylvania officials and several drug companies, Dr Kruszewski describes corrupt practices, that include fraudulent billings, overmedicating of adults and children, and the misuse of medication that resulted in death to persons under the care of the state.
The lawsuit, also says drug companies have "distorted statistics, violated regulations and misrepresented the effects of the use of their psychotropic drugs simply to make money."
According to Dr Kruszewski, in order to sell more drugs, pharmaceutical companies have misrepresented their effectiveness, "by knowingly reporting incomplete and inaccurate research results of their safety profiles, and by off-label promotion."
Injured parties seeking justice can find more information at: Lawyers and Settlements
Become a Fan -- Page 2 of 3 page(s)
When he went to his superiors with his report, Mr Jones says, "I was limited, shut down, ordered to limit my investigation and ultimately threatened when I refused to set aside what I was finding."
"They maintained a deliberate ignorance of what was going on, they did not want to know," he said, "the word came down to kill my investigation and rein me in."
He refused to be reined in and continued his investigation on his own time. When he finally went public with his findings to the New York Times, Mr Jones was fired. He has since filed a Whistleblower lawsuit.
Psychiatrist, Dr Stefan Kruszewski, was hired by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Program Integrity in the Department of Public Welfare to oversee the mental health and substance abuse programs.
During his investigation, Dr Kruszewski uncovered serious abuses, including the deaths of four children and one adult while in state custody, due to substandard care and the off-label prescribing of atypical antipsychotics.
The people most vulnerable to medicating for profit were the disabled, dependent children in state care, the prison population, and children hooked into the state juvenile justice system.
In June 2003 Dr Kruszewski, traveled to an out-of-state inpatient facility that housed 24 children from Pennsylvania whose placement in the center had been facilitated by the Pennsylvania Office of Medical Assistance and whose oversight was, in part, the responsibility of the Bureau of Program Integrity.
"The reasons for that trip," he said, "was another unexpected death of a child."
On July 9, 2003, Dr Kruszewski's written preliminary assessment on the investigation revealed children who were severely overmedicated with antipsychotics, antidepressants and anticonvulsants were housed in deplorable living arrangements and receiving 'treatment' that often violated their emotional, mental and physical well-being. The investigation also revealed that children were being sexually abused by staff personnel.
Dr Kruszewski recommended the removal of the children from the facility and also advised his superiors to consider removing children and adults from several other facilities "in order to protect other innocent individuals from morbid and mortal consequences of severe over-medication, including chemical restraints; emotional, physical and sexual abuse; seclusion; and dirty and inadequate living conditions," he advised.
Dr Kruszewski was fired in July 2003 when he refused to be silenced after his discoveries.
In his whistleblower lawsuit against Pennsylvania officials and several drug companies, Dr Kruszewski describes corrupt practices, that include fraudulent billings, overmedicating of adults and children, and the misuse of medication that resulted in death to persons under the care of the state.
The lawsuit, also says drug companies have "distorted statistics, violated regulations and misrepresented the effects of the use of their psychotropic drugs simply to make money."
According to Dr Kruszewski, in order to sell more drugs, pharmaceutical companies have misrepresented their effectiveness, "by knowingly reporting incomplete and inaccurate research results of their safety profiles, and by off-label promotion."
Injured parties seeking justice can find more information at: Lawyers and Settlements
Evelyn Pringle is a columnist for OpEd News and investigative journalist focused on exposing corruption in government and corporate America.
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author
and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
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Zyprexa caused my diabetes
by Danny Haszard on Wednesday, Feb 22, 2006 at 7:20:44 AM