Lilly, the manufacturer of the prescription drug Zyprexa is in the end stages of trying to settle a criminal investigation regarding the marketing of the drug.  The disclosure comes just two weeks after Lilly settled an 18-month probe with 32 states, which contended Lilly violated consumer protection laws by urging docs to prescribe Zyprexa to patients who did not need the drug.  See http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/10/lilly-to-take-14-billion-charge-for-zyprexa-probe/

"The government's investigation...has been ongoing for five years and we now have a heightened sense of responsibility to all our stakeholders to intensify efforts to resolve these issues," Robert Armitage, Lilly's senior vp and general counsel, says in a statement. 

 However, 11 states, including South Carolina have filed law suits against the manufacturer instead of participating in the joint federal investigation.  In its statement, Lilly says that, if the ongoing discussions are successfully concluded, the drugmaker expects that they would settle the Zyprexa-related federal claims, as well as similar Medicaid-related claims of states participating in the settlement. Separately, Lilly paid $15 million to settle a lawsuit last March filed by the state of Alaska.

Web Resources

Legal links:

• Christian & Davis, LLC's main website
• South Carolina Bar Association
• American Association for Justice
• South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association
• Findlaw
• Lawyers.com

Consumer and workers info links:

• Workcompcentral.com
• Home Safety Council
• People Over Profits Grassroots Action Center

Governmental links:

• South Carolina Judicial Department
• United States Judicial Department
• South Carolina Legislature
• Food and Drug Administration
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration
• U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission

Nursing Home links:

• South Carolina LTC Ombudsman
• National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform
• Member of the Family - Nursing Home Quality Trends & Staffing

Medical Resources:

• Lectric Law Library Lawcopedia's: Medical Malpractice
• New England Journal of Medicine
• Agency for Quality Health Care and Research
• Anatomy of the Human Body
• Workers Compensation Agencies
• National Library of Medicine
• Physician Profiles - Healthcare Choices
• AMA - Physician Sheet Health Grade
• Hospital Report Cards
• Merck Manual of Diagnosis & Therapy
• Merck Manual of Medical Information
• National Health Law Program HealthTouch
• Prescription Drug Information MedExplorer
• Medical Dictionaries