Friday 13 June 2008

Pharmacist jailed over PBS fraud

The Federal Government says the jailing of a central Queensland chemist shows that defrauding the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) will not be tolerated.

The 60-year-old owner of the Clermont Pharmacy, Geoffrey Noel Lake, was jailed by the Brisbane District Court yesterday for four years for fraudulently obtaining $400,000.

Federal Human Services Minister Joe Ludwig says Lake used his parents' signatures or ordered his staff to falsely sign prescriptions that were not supplied.

He also used the identities of dead people to submit false claims.

Senator Ludwig says people who try to defraud Commonwealth programs will be caught and face serious consequences.

No comments: