DOJ Sues Walgreens, Alleges It Filled Millions of Illegal Prescriptions

The Epoch Times Header

The U.S. Department of Justice is alleging Walgreens dispensed millions of unlawful opioid prescriptions and violated federal health care program rules.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a civil complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, accusing Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co., and subsidiaries of illegally dispensing millions of opioid and other controlled substance prescriptions.

The suit, announced on Jan. 17, alleges the pharmacy chain violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) by knowingly filling prescriptions without a legitimate medical purpose and also violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by seeking reimbursement from federal health care programs for those prescriptions.

โ€œThis lawsuit seeks to hold Walgreens accountable for the many years that it failed to meet its obligations when dispensing dangerous opioids and other drugs,โ€ Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton said in a press release. โ€œOur complaint alleges that Walgreens pharmacists filled millions of controlled substance prescriptions with clear red flags that indicated the prescriptions were highly likely to be unlawful, and that Walgreens systematically pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions, including controlled substance prescriptions, without taking the time needed to confirm their validity. These practices allowed millions of opioid pills and other controlled substances to flow illegally out of Walgreens stores.โ€

According to the complaint, the violations began around August 2012 and continued through the present, with millions of prescriptions allegedly written for opioids and other controlled substances that lacked a valid medical purpose.

The complaint further alleges that Walgreens pharmacists often faced corporate pressure to fill prescriptions quickly, limiting the time needed to verify their legitimacy. The filing contends that these practices contributed to the opioid crisis and, in particularly tragic instances, resulted in patient overdoses and fatalities.

If Walgreens is found liable, it could face civil penalties of up to $80,850 per unlawful prescription under the CSA, along with treble damages for each prescription billed to federal programs in violation of the FCA.

Treble damages are a legal remedy whereby a plaintiff is awarded three times the amount of actual damages and are often used when the defendantโ€™s alleged actions were particularly egregious, according to Cornell Law School.

Byย Chase Smith

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Beijing and Moscow Double Down on Propping Up Tehran, Threaten to Give It Nukes

As anyone who understands how these things unfold could...

The Looming Threat To Our Homeland

After success of โ€œOperation Midnight Hammer,โ€ where U.S. military bombed Iranian nuclear facilities, the threat to America has never been greater.

Trumpโ€™s Bold Strike on Iran: A Necessary Move for Global Securityย 

Trumpโ€™s airstrikes on Iranโ€™s nuclear facilities have been hailed as a courageous and necessary action to safeguard American interests and global stability.

Groundhog Day came late this year to the Land of Smiles.

itโ€™s the same rigmarole, on whatever pretext, the army commandeers the Thai state with vague promises to restore democracy at some unspecified future date.

Resource number one

Russia has an unsustainable birthrate worsened by mortality rate of Russian males through war and alcoholism. One solution, steal young children from other countries.ย 

Zohran Mamdani Claims Victory in NYCโ€™s Mayoral Democratic Primary, Cuomo Concedes

Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old NY state assemblyman, claimed victory in first round of the Democratic primary contest for mayor of NYC in the 2025 election.

Boeing, FAA Share Blame for Door Panel Flying Off During Alaska Airlines Flight: NTSB

The sudden midair door panel blowout on Alaska Airlines flight last year stemmed from failures by Boeing, its supplier Spirit AeroSystems, and the FAA.

RFK Jr. Says Pregnant Women Can Get COVID-19 Vaccine If They Choose To

Pregnant women can get COVID-19 vaccines, even after CDC stopped recommending shots during pregnancy, Sec. RFK, Jr. told members of Congress.

Texas Governor Signs Law Requiring Warning Labels on Some Foods

Texas is requiring companies to add warning labels to some foods, under the Texas MAHA legislation bill signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott.

Trump Arrives in Netherlands for NATO Summit, With Defense Spending High on Agenda

President Donald Trump arrived in Amsterdam on Tuesday to attend the NATO summit, which is being held in The Hague from June 24 to 25.

Major Victory for Trump Administration and the American People on Deporting Criminal Illegal Aliens to Third Countries

Supreme Court decision allows DHS to deport criminal illegal aliens who are not wanted in their home country to third countries who've agreed to accept them.

No Changes Planned for FDAโ€™s Vaccine Advisory Committee โ€˜At This Timeโ€™: Spokesperson

There are no plans to remove any members of the panel that advises the FDA on vaccines, a spokesperson said on June 20.

Trump Says Trade Deals Expected With India and Pakistan

President Trump expects US will sign trade deals with India and Pakistan, signaling growing momentum in push to reshape global trade through tariff diplomacy.
spot_img

Related Articles