Walgreens has agreed to pay up to $350 million in a settlement with the US Department of Justice for illegally filling millions of prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in the past decade.
The big picture: The nationwide drugstore chain is required to pay the government a minimum of $300 million and an additional $50 million if the company is sold, merged, or transferred before 2032.
- The government’s complaint alleges that Walgreens filled illegal prescriptions for controlled substances between August 2012 and March 2023, including excessive opioids and prescriptions filled significantly early.
- The company is accused of pressuring its pharmacists to quickly fill prescriptions despite clear red flags indicating their invalidity.
State of play: The settlement comes amid declining store visits and market share for Walgreens, which had announced the closure of 1,200 stores in October.
Go deeper: As part of the settlement, Walgreens has agreed to enhance its compliance measures, maintain policies requiring pharmacists to confirm prescription validity, and establish a system for blocking prescriptions from prescribers producing illegitimate prescriptions.
- The company has entered into agreements with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services to monitor and report on the dispensing of controlled substances.
- The settlement resolves whistleblowers’ cases against Walgreens and follows a multi-state settlement in 2022 with CVS and Walgreens that totaled over $10 billion.
