DOJ Takes Legal Action Against Walgreens, Accusing It of Issuing Millions of Illegal Prescriptions

January 17, 2025 TruthUSA

The U.S. Department of Justice is accusing Walgreens of unlawfully dispensing millions of opioid prescriptions and breaching federal health care regulations.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has initiated a civil complaint in the Northern District of Illinois, claiming that Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co., and their subsidiaries illegally dispensed millions of prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances.

The lawsuit, revealed on January 17, contends that the pharmacy chain breached the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) by knowingly filling prescriptions without valid medical justification, and also violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by submitting claims for those prescriptions to federal health care programs.

“This lawsuit aims to hold Walgreens responsible for years of neglecting its responsibilities when dispensing hazardous opioids and other medications,” stated Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton in a press release. “Our complaint asserts that Walgreens pharmacists filled millions of prescriptions for controlled substances despite obvious warning signs suggesting the prescriptions were likely illegal, and that Walgreens routinely pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions—including those for controlled substances—without adequately confirming their validity. These actions facilitated the illegal distribution of millions of opioid pills and other controlled substances from Walgreens stores.”

The complaint notes that these violations reportedly began in August 2012 and have persisted up to the current date, with millions of prescriptions allegedly issued for opioids and other controlled substances devoid of legitimate medical justification.

Additionally, the complaint alleges that Walgreens pharmacists were frequently under corporate pressure to expedite the filling of prescriptions, thereby limiting the necessary time to verify their authenticity. It claims that these practices have exacerbated the opioid crisis and, in particularly tragic circumstances, led to patient overdoses and deaths.

If Walgreens is determined to be liable, it may incur civil penalties of up to $80,850 for each unlawful prescription under the CSA, in addition to facing treble damages for every prescription submitted to federal programs in breach of the FCA.

Treble damages refer to a legal remedy in which a plaintiff can receive three times the actual damages and are typically employed when the defendant’s actions are deemed especially severe, as per Cornell Law School.

Numerous U.S. attorneys’ offices nationwide are participating in this case, motivated by concerns regarding the ongoing opioid epidemic. The complaint also outlines the involvement of four whistleblowers who have made allegations against Walgreens under the FCA, allowing private individuals to sue on behalf of the government.

In a statement sent to The Epoch Times, a Walgreens spokesperson remarked: “We are requesting the court to clarify the duties of pharmacies and pharmacists and to safeguard against the government’s attempt to enforce arbitrary ‘regulations’ that are not specified in any law or regulation and have not undergone any formal rulemaking. We will not passively let the government put our pharmacists in a no-win predicament, trying to comply with ‘rules’ that simply do not exist.”

The spokesperson emphasized that the company supports its pharmacists and committed health care professionals within the communities it serves.

“Walgreens has consistently been at the forefront of providing education and resources, as well as establishing best-in-class policies and procedures, to combat opioid misuse and abuse,” the spokesperson stated. “We are eager to defend the professionalism and integrity of our pharmacists.”

The government’s complaint follows similar enforcement actions against major pharmacy chains for comparable misconduct. An ongoing lawsuit against Walmart was initiated in 2020, while another against CVS was filed last month.

The DOJ insists that enforcing both the CSA and FCA is crucial to protecting public health and preventing abuse of taxpayer-funded programs.

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