By Connor Hart
The U.S. Justice Department has filed suit against Walgreens, accusing the company of helping to fuel the opioid crisis by filling millions of unlawful prescriptions.
The pharmacy and retail chain since August 2012 filled prescriptions that lacked a legitimate medical purpose, were invalid or weren't issued in professional practice, the DOJ said Friday. These prescriptions included excessive quantities and early refills of opioids, as well as the "trinity," a drug composed of an opioid, a benzodiazepine and a muscle relaxant, according to the complaint.
"We are asking the court to clarify the responsibilities of pharmacies and pharmacists and to protect against the government's attempt to enforce arbitrary 'rules' that do not appear in any law or regulation and never went through any official rulemaking process," a Walgreens spokesperson said.
The company added that it stands behind its pharmacists, all of which it said are "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."
The DOJ's complaint alleges the company's pharmacists filled prescriptions despite red flags, and that Walgreens ignored evidence, including from its pharmacists and internal data, that it was dispensing unlawful prescriptions. It further alleges pharmacists were pressured to fill prescriptions quickly, so much so that they didn't take time to confirm their validity.
Walgreens sought reimbursement from federal health care programs for these unlawful prescriptions and in doing so violated the False Claims Act, the DOJ said.
"This lawsuit seeks to hold Walgreens accountable for the many years that it failed to meet its obligations when dispensing dangerous opioids and other drugs," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, who heads of department's civil division.
Walgreens operates over 12,500 stores across the U.S., Europe and Latin America, according to its website.
Write to Connor Hart at connor.hart@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
01-17-25 1657ET