A New York state auditor discovered that King’s Pharmacy in Long Beach bilked the state out of more than $700,000 by forging signatures for cancer-treatment prescriptions that physicians did not prepare.
State investigators combed through 250 prescription claims from the pharmacy and found a total of $715,479 in overpayments. The state is trying to recover $591,000.
The investigation into King’s started in 2009. Jay Kirschner, the pharmacy’s former owner, pleaded guilty to health care fraud last March. He was sentenced Tuesday to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $2.4 million in restitution.
“Time and time again we hear about fraud in health care,” said Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.
