The pharmacist admitted wrongdoing, reimbursed about 250,000 euros, and paid a substantial fine of 375,000 euros, with one-third due immediately and the remainder suspended.

A Flemish pharmacist admitted to defrauding the Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI) of about 250,000 euros over several years by exploiting a reimbursement process tied to prescription medications.

The fraud relied on a loophole in the IT system that allowed indicating no barcode was available, enabling reimbursement for medicines that were not actually sold or even purchased from suppliers.

In early 2024, authorities searched the pharmacy and found hundreds of boxes in storage, including some expired, which the pharmacist claimed had been sold.

The pharmacist argued the security flaw remained unresolved and that many pharmacists could still exploit it, while INAMI officials acknowledged limited resources for auditing every file, leaving some fraudsters undetected for extended periods.

The scheme worked by patients paying only the co-payment, while INAMI reimbursements went directly to the pharmacist, who could falsely demonstrate dispensation by scanning a unique code on the medication box.