Unapproved prescription drugs covered by Medicaid

An Associated Press analysis of federal drug data shows the U.S. government has spent over $200 million since 2004 on drugs that have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. In some instances, these unapproved medications have been linked to deaths. While Medicaid is not supposed to cover unapproved drugs, the FDA does not have a comprehensive list of the banned medications. Medicaid can continue to pay for the medication until it is officially taken off the market by the FDA, a protracted process that can take years.