Omnicare says gets subpoena from U.S. Attorney

Last Updated: 2006-01-16 9:00:50 -0400 (Reuters Health)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Omnicare Inc., a provider of drugs to nursing homes, said on Friday it received a subpoena from the U.S. Attorney from Massachusetts seeking information about its relationships with manufacturers and distributors of certain pharmaceutical products.

The Covington, Kentucky-based company said it understands the federal government and certain U.S. states are investigating allegations related to three generic drugs provided by Omnicare.

Omnicare said it believes its purchases of pharmaceuticals comply with all applicable laws and regulations and added that it is cooperating fully with the probe.

The company, which acknowledged the subpoena in a regulatory filing, said it believes the investigation involves the substitution of certain forms or doses of the generic products.

It said it believes the government was looking into the substitution of capsules for tablets of Ranitidine, a generic of GlaxoSmithKline's heartburn drug Zantac; tablets for capsules of Fluoxetine, the generic version of Eli Lilly and Co's antidepressant Prozac; and the substitution of two 7.5 milligram tablets for one 15 mg tablet of Buspirone, a generic of Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's BuSpar anti-anxiety drug.