California Doctor Fined In Medical Malpractice Case

A California oncologist was fined $550,000 in a medical malpractice case related to his use of unapproved chemotherapy drugs. The fine issued to Dr. Prabhjit Purewal was part of a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services. The medical malpractice case against Dr. Purewal alleged that he violated federal laws by billing Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare for pharmaceuticals that had not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Feds Investigate Medical Malpractice

Federal prosecutors pursued the medical malpractice case against Dr. Purewal as part of a larger investigation. The federal probe explored the distribution of counterfeit chemotherapy drugs into the U.S. medical system. The investigation led to a British pharmaceutical distributor who had sold chemotherapy medications to American doctors. Prosecutors sought medical malpractice charges against Dr. Purewal after they arrested one of the distributor’s representatives. The representative was later sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined $800,000.

Medical Malpractice And Unapproved Drugs

The medical malpractice charges stem from Dr. Purewal’s purchase of the unapproved drugs. Investigators found that Dr. Purewal’s office administrator facilitated the purchases from the British distributor. The investigation also found that Dr. Purewal knew that the drugs had come from overseas and had not been approved by the FDA. Federal officials pursued the medical malpractice charges upon learning that Dr. Purewal had been charging Medicare and Medicaid for unapproved drugs, a violation of federal law.

“No Criminal Wrongdoing” In Medical Malpractice Case

The medical malpractice settlement comes with the provision that Dr. Purewal does not admit to any criminal activity in his purchases of the unapproved drugs. The settlement also did not include any admission by Dr. Purewal of any civil liability or dangerous medical malpractice. His attorney stated that the treatments he administered to patients were “closely monitored” and that “not a single patient” suffered any negative effects from the medication.

Monetary Costs Of Medical Malpractice

The attorney also stated that his client did not receive any direct monetary benefit from the alleged medical malpractice. The attorney stated that Dr. Purewal saved “less than five percent” of what he would have paid for FDA-approved chemotherapy medication, but he admitted that “it’s going to cost him a lot of money now.” The $550,000 fine comes in addition to a previous $400,000 Dr. Purewal paid the federal government for settling his medical malpractice charges.

Source: Manteca Bulletin

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