Sacramento, CA: A recently filed lawsuit accuses drug maker Johnson & Johnson of pushing certain medications on senior citizens, including Levaquin.
The lawsuit alleges that the drug company conspired with pharmaceutical consultant Omnicare to encourage nursing home residents to buy Johnson & Johnson medications, which is a violation of Medicare laws, according to ConsumerAffairs.com.
According to the lawsuit, as a consequence of the alleged conspiracy "residents were overcharged for their medications, had additional medications administered and were unlawfully switched to Johnson & Johnson drugs."
The suit claims that the drug manufacturer paid Omnicare to label its drugs "preferred," which the consultant bestows upon medications that are rated highly "for their clinical effectiveness in the geriatric community."
The specific medications named in the lawsuit include Levaquin, Floxin, Risperdal, Ultram, Duragesic, Procrit, and Aciphex.
According to a separate lawsuit filed against Johnson & Johnson, Levaquin can cause a number of problems with Achilles tendons. Such issues have resulted in 1,044 reports of tendon problems, with 282 reports of tendon ruptures from 1997 through 2005 for users of the medication.