-
Agricultural Land in Dire Need of Moisture Ahead of Summer - 8 mins ago
-
Screenshot-scanning malware discovered on Apple App Store in first-of-its-kind attack - 13 mins ago
-
Expert on why financial secrets can break trust in relationships - 15 mins ago
-
Teen held in stabbing at L.A. rally for immigrant rights - 35 mins ago
-
2025 IndyCar Championship odds: Alex Palou favored - 38 mins ago
-
Minister Reacts to Another Islamist Terror Attack in Germany - 41 mins ago
-
Judge John McConnell Jr Faces Impeachment for Obstructing Trump - 46 mins ago
-
Tarek El Moussa called wife Heather by ex Christina Haack’s name - 48 mins ago
-
Trump speaks to Putin about ending the war between Russia and Ukraine - 50 mins ago
-
Key takeaways from January’s consumer price index report - 54 mins ago
Justice Department lawsuit accuses Walgreens of filling millions of unlawful opioid prescriptions
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on Friday accusing Walgreens of filling millions of unlawful opioid prescriptions.
The civil suit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Walgreen Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co. and its various subsidiaries alleges the pharmacy giant knowingly filled millions of unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances from approximately August 2012 through to the present. Walgreens allegedly filled prescriptions for dangerous and excessive quantities of opioids, the lawsuit said, including early refills among other prescriptions.
“Our 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,” Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division said in a statement. “These practices allowed millions of opioid pills and other controlled substances to flow illegally out of Walgreens stores.”
Walgreens pharmacists filled these unlawful prescriptions despite clear “red flags,” the complaint alleges, and the pharmacy giant ignored substantial evidence from multiple sources that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions, including from its own pharmacists and internal data, the suit claims.
Pharmacists were pressured to fill prescriptions quickly without taking the time needed to confirm each prescription’s validity, the complaint said. Walgreens also deprived pharmacists of crucial information and prevented them from warning one another about certain prescribers.
Four different whistleblowers who previously worked for Walgreens in various parts of the country filed whistleblower actions, the statement said.
Walgreens responded to the lawsuit in a statement on its website which read that it stands “behind our pharmacists, dedicated healthcare professionals who live in the communities they serve, filling legitimate prescriptions for FDA-approved medications written by DEA-licensed prescribers in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.”
“We look forward to the opportunity to defend the professionalism and integrity of our pharmacists,” the statement said.
Last month the Justice Department filed a similar lawsuit against CVS, alleging the pharmacy chain filled prescriptions with dangerous and excessive quantities of opioids, agreed to fill opioid prescriptions early and made “trinity prescriptions,” which are a dangerous combination of drugs.
Walgreens is one of the country’s largest pharmacy chains, with over 8,000 pharmacies across the U.S. Walgreens plans to close hundreds of stores by the end of 2025 to turn around its flagging sales, and has already closed roughly 2,000 locations over the past decade, the company said.
Source link