DEERFIELD, Illinois — The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Walgreens, accusing the pharmacy chain of filling millions of prescriptions over the past decade without a legitimate purpose, including for dangerous amounts of opioids. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that Walgreens pharmacists filled controlled substance prescriptions with clear red flags indicating they were likely unlawful. The complaint further claims that Walgreens pressured pharmacists to fill prescriptions without verifying their validity.
According to the lawsuit, Walgreens violated the federal Controlled Substances Act by filling “unlawful” prescriptions and sought reimbursement from federal health care programs in violation of the False Claims Act. Responding to the allegations, Walgreens, which operates over 8,000 locations nationwide, defended its pharmacists, stating they fill legitimate prescriptions for FDA-approved medications written by DEA-licensed prescribers in compliance with all applicable laws.
The lawsuit also accuses Walgreens of disregarding evidence, including internal data and warnings from its own pharmacists, about the dispensing of unlawful prescriptions. Additionally, the company allegedly prevented pharmacists from sharing crucial information about certain prescribers with one another.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, commented on the lawsuit, emphasizing the need to hold Walgreens accountable for dispensing dangerous opioids and other drugs unlawfully. In response, Walgreens stated it is seeking clarity from the court on pharmacy responsibilities and aims to protect pharmacists from arbitrary enforcement of non-existent rules.
Walgreens asserted its commitment to combatting opioid misuse through education, resources, and policy implementation. The Justice Department previously filed a similar lawsuit against CVS in December. Federal prosecutors have been pursuing accountability from companies implicated in the U.S. addiction and overdose crisis, with opioids linked to tens of thousands of annual deaths in recent years. In settlements over the past eight years, drugmakers, wholesalers, and pharmacies have agreed to approximately $50 billion, with a significant portion allocated to addressing the crisis.
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