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Walgreens agreed to pay up to $350 million as part of a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, and the company illegally buried millions of invalid prescriptions of opioids and other controlled substances, and asked for payment of many of the invalid prescriptions from Medicare and other federal health programs.
DOJ said the $300 million settlement is based on Walgreens’ ability to pay and an additional $50 million will be paid if the company is sold, merged or transferred by fiscal year 2032.
“Drugs are legally responsible for prescribing controlled substances in a safe and professional way, rather than dispensing dangerous drugs just for profit,” Attorney General Pamela Bondy said in a statement. “This Department of Justice is committed to ending the opioid crisis and holding bad actors accountable for not protecting patients from addiction.”
Walgreens, sued by DOJ, claims they intentionally fulfilled illegal prescriptions that include “dangerous” opioids
Walgreens agrees to pay up to $350 million to resolve allegations that the company illegally buried millions of invalid prescriptions of opioids. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images / Getty Images)
According to the government complaint, between August 2012 and March 2023, he was accused of filling millions of invalid prescriptions between August 2012 and March 2023. These included excessive numbers of opioids and prescriptions that were filled fairly early.
The Walgreens pharmacists are said to have met these prescriptions, but the signs suggest a high possibility that the prescription is ineffective as it lacks legitimate medical purposes or was not issued during the course of normal occupational practices.
Walgreens will become private with a $10 billion deal
DOJ said the $300 million settlement is based on Walgreens’ ability to pay and an additional $50 million will be paid if the company is sold, merged or transferred by fiscal year 2032. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The complaint also alleges that Walgreens put pressure on pharmacists to quickly fill their prescriptions, without taking the time to make sure each prescription is legal. Walgreens compliance officers also allegedly ignored evidence that the store was distributing illegal prescriptions. It is also said that they ignored evidence that they intentionally took away the information they needed, such as refusing to share internal data about prescribers with the pharmacist and refusing to refuse to warn each other about certain prescribers.
The federal government said the lawsuit and the resulting settlement are part of efforts to address the national opioid epidemic, which has led to tens of thousands of deaths each year.
Walgreens was accused of filling millions of invalid prescriptions between August 2012 and March 2023 in violation of the Controlled Substances Act. (istock / istock)
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“The settlement resolves allegations that Walgreens has not fulfilled its obligations over the years when distributing dangerous opioids and other drugs,” said Assistant Assistant Secretary of the Department of Justice’s Private Sector Michael Glanston. “We will continue to take responsibility for the entities and individuals who have contributed to the opioid crisis through illegal prescription, marketing, dispensing or distribution activities.”
