A political action committee that represents compounding pharmacies was one of the biggest contributors to Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s re-election campaign, according to a report by The Inquirer.

Samuel Pond

Fairness PA contributed $1 million to Wolf’s campaign in the second half of 2017, more than any other committee for the year, according to the report. Fairness PA is also funded by labor unions, teachers and lawyers. Critics say the law firm’s ownership of firms that sell drugs to treat injured workers raise “serious conflicts of interest,” The Inquirer said.

The newspaper said Insight Medical Partners, which operates pharmacies, contributed $125,000 to Fairness PA last year. Pond Lehocky Stern Giordano, a claimants' attorney firm that owns the Workers First Pharmacy, gave $87,000 to the PAC. Another $13,400 was donated by its attorneys and employees.

Fairness PA also received $42,00 from a political action committee operated by Pond Lehocky, Pennsylvanians for Injured Workers. 

Attorney Sam Pond is leading the opposition to a bill backed by Republicans that would mandate adoption of a drug formulary. A spokesman for Wolf told The Inquirer that the governor opposes the bill.

The newspaper said that in July, Wolf attended a fundraiser sponsored by Insight Medical Partners. An invitation to the event called it an “exclusive dinner discussion” with the governor. The RSVP was to Rishin Patel, a doctor and CEO of Insight Medical Partners.

According to the report, Liberty Mutual Insurance has filed suit against Patel, doctors and pharmacies affiliated with Insight Medical Partners for prescribing $3.7 million in allegedly fraudulent pain creams. The suit says the creams cost between $5,000 and $8,000 a tube.