BALTIMORE, MD—The Justice Department filed a nationwide lawsuit against Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co., and various subsidiaries, alleging the pharmacy chain knowingly dispensed millions of unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and the False Claims Act (FCA). Walgreens, with over 8,000 pharmacies nationwide, is one of the largest pharmacy chains in the country.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that Walgreens filled prescriptions for dangerous and excessive quantities of opioids, early refills of opioids, and the “trinity” combination of drugs, which includes an opioid, a benzodiazepine, and a muscle relaxant. The complaint alleges that Walgreens knowingly filled millions of invalid prescriptions for controlled substances lacking a legitimate medical purpose from August 2012 until now.

The complaint alleges that Walgreens pharmacists ignored “red flags” indicating the prescriptions were likely unlawful, including evidence from internal data and their own pharmacists. Walgreens allegedly pressured pharmacists to fill prescriptions quickly without confirming their validity and deprived them of crucial information, including warnings about certain prescribers.

The lawsuit claims that Walgreens’ actions violated the CSA and the FCA, contributing to the opioid crisis and resulting in patient deaths from overdoses. If found liable, Walgreens could pay up to $80,850 in civil penalties and triple damages for each prescription paid by federal programs that violate the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and the False Claims Act (FCA). The court may also issue an injunction to prevent Walgreens from committing further CSA violations.

“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 M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Our complaint alleges that Walgreens pharmacists filled millions of controlled substance prescriptions with clear red flags that indicated the prescriptions were highly likely to be unlawful, and that Walgreens systematically pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions, including controlled substance prescriptions, without taking the time needed to confirm their validity. These practices allowed millions of opioid pills and other controlled substances to flow illegally out of Walgreens stores.”

The lawsuit was filed by four whistleblowers who previously worked for Walgreens. The United States intervened in the case and consolidated the four cases into one, captioned United States ex rel. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. v. Novak No. 18-5452 (NDIL)

The Justice Department created the Opioid Epidemic Civil Litigation Task Force in March 2023 to enhance coordination of its existing work and consider new initiatives.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

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