ProPublica has provided an update on their investigation of Dr. Michael Reinstein. “A former Chicago psychiatrist who was the nation’s top prescriber of the most powerful and riskiest antipsychotic drug intends to plead guilty to a federal felony charge of taking kickbacks from its manufacturer in exchange for prescriptions,” stated ProPublica.
“In 2009, ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune reported how in one year Reinstein prescribed more of the antipsychotic clozapine to patients in Medicaid’s Illinois program than all doctors in the Medicaid programs of Texas, Florida and North Carolina combined,” reported ProPublica. “Autopsy and court records showed that at least three patients under Reinstein’s care had died of clozapine intoxication. At that time, Reinstein defended his prescription record, arguing that clozapine is effective and underprescribed.”
Huge Prescriber of Risky Antipsychotic Drug to Plead Guilty to Taking Kickbacks (ProPublica, February 6, 2015)