Pharmacists under investigation for stop-smoking fraud allegations
Pharmacists are under investigation by the National Health Service Counter Fraud Service for allegedly making false claims for payments based on the number of people they have helped to stop smoking.
A spokesman for the Counter Fraud Service said: “Allegations of
fraud involving NHS stop smoking services have been received by the NHS
Counter Fraud Service. Our pharmaceutical fraud team is exploring the
possibility of undertaking an exercise to uncover similar fraudulent
behaviour throughout England and Wales. While the investigations are
ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”
At the end of last year, The Guardian newspaper reported that pharmacists
in five London primary care trust areas were
under investigation. One
was believed to have claimed almost 100 per cent success in helping people
to stop smoking for four weeks.
Steve Lutener, head of regulation at the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating
Committee, said: “We believe that the vast majority of pharmacists
are scrupulously honest in submitting claims to the NHS. The PSNC is
supportive of the work of the NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management
Service in detecting and eradicating fraud against the NHS. We hope that
the NHS CFSMS will conclude its investigation diligently and promptly,
and take action if evidence of false claims is found, so that those pharmacists
properly providing the stop smoking service can do so without there being
continuing doubts as to their integrity.” |
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