Walgreens agrees to pay at least $300 million in opioid settlement

Source: LA Times

Walgreens has agreed to pay up to $350 million in a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department after allegations that the pharmacy chain illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances.

Filed early this year, the complaint that led to the settlement accused Walgreens of filling prescriptions for opioids too early and in excess quantities, and dispensing a combination of three drugs known to be commonly abused.

Walgreens pharmacists ignored red flags that the prescriptions were invalid or lacked a medical purpose, the complaint said. The complaint also alleged that Walgreens pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions quickly without confirming their legitimacy.

Walgreens sought payment for many of the invalid prescriptions through Medicare and other federal healthcare programs in violation of the False Claims Act, according to the government's case against the company.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/walgreens-agrees-pay-least-300-202001928.html