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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a civil lawsuit in federal court alleging that CVS Pharmacy filled illegal prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and the False Claims Act (FCA).
The government's complaint targets the country's largest pharmaceutical company, which has more than 9,000 stores nationwide, alleging that the company “lacks a legitimate medical purpose, is ineffective, and/or issues products in the ordinary course of professional business.” “He knowingly filled out a prescription for a controlled substance that had not been approved.”
The Department of Justice alleges that the drugstore giant continued to engage in illegal activities from October 17, 2013 to the present.
The Department of Justice alleged that CVS illegally filled excessive and dangerous amounts of opioids, filled opioids early, and filled “Trinity Prescriptions.”
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The lawsuit alleges that CVS Health filled illegal prescriptions. (Joe Radle/Getty Images/Getty Images)
The “Trinity Prescription” is a combination of prescription drugs that includes opioids, benzodiazepines, and muscle relaxants.
The complaint also alleges that the prescriptions filled at CVS were written by prescribers who knew they were engaged in a “pill mill operation,” issuing large quantities of drugs for no medical purpose.
“According to the complaint, CVS ignored substantial evidence from multiple sources, including its own pharmacists and internal data, showing that its stores were dispensing illegal prescriptions,” the Justice Department said. .
Opioid hydrocodone pills at a pharmacy in Portsmouth, Ohio, June 21, 2017. (Reuters/Brian Woolston/File Photo/Reuters)
The Justice Department has accused CVS of violating the law due to its performance metrics, compensation incentives, and staffing policies.
“CVS has set staffing levels too low for pharmacists to meet performance metrics and comply with legal obligations,” the complaint states.
Additionally, the Justice Department alleged that it failed to provide pharmacists with important information that could have prevented the illegal prescriptions from being filled.
The Justice Department also alleged that CVS helped fuel the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States through its fraudulent practices.
“This lawsuit alleges that CVS failed to fulfill its critical role as a gatekeeper to dangerous prescription opioids and instead facilitated the illicit distribution of these highly addictive drugs, including through pill mill prescribers.” said U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha.
“When companies like CVS prioritize profits over patient safety, overburden their pharmacy staff, and fail in their fundamental responsibility to ensure that prescriptions are legitimate, we believe that they “We will use every means at our disposal to respond to this,” he said. Said.
The Department of Justice states that CVS is subject to civil penalties for every illegal prescription filled in violation of the CSA, penalties for each prescription reimbursed by a federal health care program, and injunctive relief to prevent CVS from committing further violations. He said he could face it.
cvs pharmacy (Jeffrey Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images/Getty Images)
In a statement to FOX News Digital, a CVS Pharmacy spokesperson said CVS officials “strongly disagree” with the allegations and “false statements” presented by the Department of Justice.
| ticker | safety | last | change | change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVS | CVS Health Corporation | 59.08 | -0.77 |
-1.29% |
“While we have cooperated with the Department of Justice's investigation for over four years, we strongly disagree with the allegations and false allegations in this complaint,” the company said in a statement. “We intend to vigorously defend ourselves against this spurious federal lawsuit, which follows years of litigation by state and local governments over these issues. Much of this has already been resolved by agreement.
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“The government's lawsuit seeks to impose changing standards of pharmacy practice. Many of the litigation theories stated in the complaint are not found in any statute or regulation and require the government to provide guidance. related to a subject that is being rejected,” CVS added. “The prescriptions in question were all for FDA-approved opioid drugs prescribed by physicians who were licensed, licensed, and authorized by the government itself to write prescriptions for controlled substances.”
A sign outside the Food and Drug Administration headquarters in White Oak, Maryland, July 20, 2020. (Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images/Getty Images)
A spokesperson for CVS Pharmacy pointed to the company's history of being an industry leader in developing ways to combat the opioid crisis.
“As an example, 12 years ago, CVS Pharmacy developed a first-of-its-kind program to block prescriptions for controlled substances written by physicians of potential concern. To date, we have helped more than 1,250 “The government has blocked nearly 600 prescribers, and the government continues to license them,” CVS said.
“This program is not required by any statute or regulation, and CVS Health has repeatedly defended lawsuits from those who claim it goes too far in deterring opioid prescribers.
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“The government's lawsuit compounds a serious dilemma for pharmacists who are simultaneously suspected of dispensing too many opioids or dispensing too few.”
