Walgreens will pay U.S. $300 million resolving allegations company illegally filled false opioid prescriptions

A Walgreens Pharmacy sign. Credit: AP/Gene J. Puskar
Walgreens will pay at least $300 million to settle a case alleging the pharmaceutical giant illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday.
A complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on Jan. 16 alleged that pharmacists for the company, headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, filled unlawful prescriptions "for excessive quantities of opioids," and prescriptions for an "especially dangerous and abused combination of three drugs known as a ‘trinity,’ ” according to a Justice Department news release dated Monday.
The settlement requires Walgreens to pay $300 million in principal plus 4% interest over the next several years. The agreement, which was reached Friday, resolves four cases brought by whistleblowers previously employed at the company, according to the Justice Department. Walgreens will owe the United States an additional $50 million if the company is sold, merged, or transferred prior to fiscal year 2032, the release said.
Walgreens is one of the nation’s largest drugstore chains, with more than 8,000 stores in the United States and Puerto Rico, according to its website. The settlement amount was based on the company’s ability to pay, according to the Justice Department.
"Pharmacies have a legal responsibility to prescribe controlled substances in a safe and professional manner, not dispense dangerous drugs just for profit," Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement.
The federal complaint — which will be dropped in accordance with the settlement — alleged Walgreens pharmacists filled prescriptions "despite clear ‘red flags’ indicating a high likelihood" that they lacked a true medical purpose or "were not issued in the usual course of professional practice" between August 2012 and March 1, 2023, the release reads.
The federal filing also alleged that Walgreens pressured employees to fill prescriptions "quickly and without taking the time needed to confirm that each prescription was lawful." It additionally alleged the company’s compliance officials allegedly ignored "substantial evidence" of dispensing unlawful prescriptions.
"This settlement holds Walgreens accountable for failing to comply with its critical responsibility to prevent the diversion of opioids and other controlled substances," said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York John J. Durham in a statement Monday.
The settlement requires Walgreens to train employees annually regarding their responsibilities relating to controlled substances and "maintain a system for blocking prescriptions from prescribers" the company knows are writing illegitimate scripts for controlled substances, according to the Justice Department release.
The company's pharmacists must also be required to "confirm the validity" of prescriptions for controlled substances prior to dispensing them.
In a statement emailed to Newsday, Walgreens spokesperson Fraser Engerman said "we strongly disagree with the government’s legal theory and admit no liability. Our pharmacists are dedicated health care professionals who care deeply about patient safety and continue to play a critical role in providing education and resources to help combat opioid misuse and abuse across our country."
"This resolution allows us to close all opioid related litigation with federal, state, and local governments," Engerman added.
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