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Walgreens Boots Alliance, Prescription Forgery, Maryland 2024
WASHINGTON – In a shocking turn of events, the Justice Department has filed a nationwide lawsuit against Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co. and various subsidiaries (collectively, Walgreens) for allegedly dispensing millions of unlawful prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and then seeking reimbursement for many of these prescriptions from various federal health care programs in violation the False Claims Act (FCA).
According to the lawsuit, Walgreens pharmacists filled millions of prescriptions for controlled substances that lacked a legitimate medical purpose, were not valid, and/or were not issued in the usual course of professional practice. Among the millions of unlawful prescriptions that Walgreens allegedly filled were prescriptions for dangerous and excessive quantities of opioids, prescriptions for early refills of opioids and prescriptions for the especially dangerous and abused combination of drugs known as the “trinity,” which is made up of an opioid, a benzodiazepine and a muscle relaxant.
The complaint alleges that Walgreens pharmacists filled these prescriptions despite clear “red flags” that indicated that the prescriptions were highly likely to be unlawful. Walgreens allegedly ignored substantial evidence from multiple sources that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions, including from its own pharmacists and internal data.
The complaint further alleges that Walgreens systematically pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions quickly without taking the time needed to confirm each prescription’s validity. Walgreens also allegedly deprived its pharmacists of crucial information, including by preventing pharmacists from warning one another about certain prescribers.
The lawsuit seeks to hold Walgreens accountable for the many years that it failed to meet its obligations when dispensing dangerous opioids and other drugs. The complaint alleges that Walgreens violated the CSA and, where Walgreens sought reimbursement from federal health care programs, also violated the FCA. The court may award civil penalties of up to $80,850 for each unlawful prescription filled in violation of the CSA and treble damages and applicable penalties for each prescription paid by federal programs in violation of the FCA.
Walgreens is one of the country’s largest pharmacy chains, with over 8,000 pharmacies across the United States. The company is facing serious charges for its alleged role in fueling the prescription opioid crisis and putting patients’ lives at risk.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton said, “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. 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.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois added, “As alleged in the complaint, Walgreens continually disregarded its obligations under the Controlled Substances Act and False Claims Act by illegally dispensing powerful controlled substances and unlawfully seeking reimbursement from federal health care programs. These laws are critically important in protecting our communities from the dangers of opioid abuse and misuse.”
Mandatory facts: Walgreens Boots Alliance, Prescription Forgery, Maryland 2024. The defendant, Walgreens Boots Alliance, is a pharmacy chain with over 8,000 locations across the United States. The exact criminal charges are violating the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and the False Claims Act (FCA). The city and state are Washington, D.C. and the exact date is not specified, but the complaint alleges that the violations occurred from approximately August 2012 through the present. The sentence or outcome has not been determined yet, and the dollar amounts are up to $80,850 per unlawful prescription filled in violation of the CSA and treble damages and applicable penalties for each prescription paid by federal programs in violation of the FCA.
Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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