Doctors and Pharmacists Detained for Multi-Million Kronor Healthcare Fraud in Stockholm

In a significant legal development in Stockholm, three doctors and three pharmacists have been detained on probable cause for serious fraud and attempted serious fraud linked to healthcare payments, allegedly defrauding Region Stockholm of tens of millions of kronor. The Economic Crime Authority's prosecutor, Jan Tydner, revealed that the fraud involves licensed medications related to botox, which are not available in ordinary Swedish pharmacies, enabling unregulated pricing structures.

The suspects are accused of charging Region Stockholm considerably more than the actual purchase costs of these licensed medications, which resulted in an estimated financial loss of around 20 million kronor for the regional health authority. Following the uncovering of this suspected fraud, Region Stockholm promptly halted multiple million-kronor payments associated with these transactions.

Among the detained are pharmacists who own pharmacies in the Stockholm region. However, some of the detained individuals deny all allegations against them. The suspected fraud centers on licensed pharmaceuticals that fall outside the standard pharmacy network, causing a lack of price controls and facilitating potential exploitation.

This case highlights concerns regarding the integrity of healthcare procurement and the challenges tied to licensed medications with non-fixed prices. The investigation by the Economic Crime Authority remains ongoing, and the detained persons face legal proceedings soon.