The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has sued pharmacy giant Walgreens, alleging that the company knowingly filled millions of prescriptions with no legitimate medical purpose. The lawsuit claims that Walgreens pharmacists were pressured to fill prescriptions quickly without verifying their validity, leading to the issuance of invalid prescriptions.
The DOJ says that from 2012 until present, Walgreens “knowingly” filled these prescriptions, which included opioids and other controlled substances. This allegedly resulted in millions of pills being dispensed illegally and contributed to the opioid crisis.
According to the lawsuit, some patients who received these prescriptions died shortly after due to overdose. The DOJ says that Walgreens prioritized profits over safety and compliance by implementing policies that left pharmacists without enough time or resources to verify prescription validity.
Walgreens has responded to the lawsuit, stating that it will fight to protect its pharmacists from arbitrary rules that do not exist in law. The company claims that it issued written policies reflecting its understanding of legal obligations but took other actions that prevented its pharmacists from complying with them.
The lawsuit seeks to hold Walgreens accountable for its alleged failures and alleges that the company tracked pharmacists who refused to fill controlled substance prescriptions, potentially compromising customer service.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/17/doj-sues-walgreens-prescriptions.html