The pharmacies were then asked to urge patients to continue taking the drug and downplay its risks and side effects. Novartis also ran a contest and kept "score cards" on which pharmacy kept patients on certain drugs for the longest period of time. "I believe many of my customers, who were the physicians and nurses treating patients with life-threatening diseases, did not fully understand the relationships between the specialty pharmacies and Novartis," Kester told Reuters in written responses to questions. Two of the pharmacies in the case - Accredo Health Group Inc, a unit of Medco Health Solutions and BioScrip Inc - previously settled charges and collectively paid $75 million. Kester's attorney Shelley Slade said the case marks the largest-ever recovery to the government from a False Claims Act lawsuit based solely on a kickback theory. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Susan Heavey and Bill Rigby)