US Justice Department sues Walgreens for fueling opioid crisis

The US Justice Division on Friday filed a lawsuit within the US District Court docket for the Northern District of Illinois, accusing Walgreens pharmacists of filling hundreds of thousands of prescriptions for managed substances with out a legit medical goal or legitimate authorization. The allegations, going again to August 2012, mark a big declare towards one of many nation’s largest pharmacy chains.

Principal Deputy Assistant Legal professional Normal Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Division’s civil division mentioned, “This lawsuit seeks to carry Walgreens accountable for the various years that it failed to fulfill its obligations when shelling out harmful opioids and different medication.”

The grievance accuses Walgreens of fueling the opioid disaster by knowingly filling hundreds of thousands of illegal prescriptions for managed substances since 2012. These prescriptions included harmful portions of opioids, early refills, and the extremely abused “trinity” mixture of an opioid, benzodiazepine, and muscle relaxant.

Regardless of clear pink flags and warnings from its personal pharmacists and information, Walgreens allegedly prioritized pace over due diligence, pressuring pharmacists to fill prescriptions rapidly whereas withholding essential details about suspect prescribers.

The federal government alleges these actions violated the Managed Substances Act (CSA) and the False Claims Act (FCA) when federal well being packages reimbursed illegal prescriptions. The lawsuit seeks civil penalties of as much as $80,850 per violation, treble damages beneath the FCA, and measures to stop future violations, highlighting the tragic function Walgreens allegedly performed within the overdose disaster.

“As alleged within the grievance, Walgreens regularly disregarded its obligations beneath the Managed Substances Act and False Claims Act by illegally shelling out highly effective managed substances and unlawfully looking for reimbursement from federal healthcare packages,” mentioned Appearing U.S. Legal professional Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois. “These legal guidelines are critically essential in defending our communities from the hazards of the opioid epidemic.

The Justice Division additionally claims Walgreens turned a blind eye to clear proof that its shops have been shelling out illegal prescriptions. The corporate allegedly pressured its pharmacists to prioritize pace over scrutiny and even blocked them from sharing warnings about questionable prescribers.

Walgreens, one of many nation’s largest drugstore chains with over 8,000 areas, is owned by Walgreens Boots Alliance. In response to the lawsuit, firm representatives issued an announcement, asserting that they’re looking for judicial clarification “to make clear the tasks of pharmacies and pharmacists and to guard towards the federal government’s try to implement arbitrary ‘guidelines’ that don’t seem in any legislation or regulation and by no means went via any official rulemaking course of. We is not going to stand by and permit the federal government to place our pharmacists in a no-win state of affairs, attempting to adjust to “guidelines” that merely don’t exist.”