The U.S. Department of Justice has released an official statement regarding the nationwide lawsuit against Walgreens Pharmacy.
WASHINGTON – In a civil lawsuit filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the Department of Justice alleges that Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreens Co., and various subsidiaries (collectively Walgreens) violated regulatory laws. and allegedly filled millions of illegal prescriptions. Under the Substances Act (CSA), we sought reimbursement for many of these prescriptions from various federal health care programs in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA). Walgreens is one of the largest pharmacy chains in the United States, with more than 8,000 pharmacies across the United States.
“This lawsuit holds Walgreens accountable for years of failure to meet its obligations when dispensing dangerous opioids and other drugs,” said Brian M. Boynton, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division. It is a thing,” he said. “Our complaint alleges that Walgreens pharmacists filled millions of prescriptions for controlled substances with clear red flags indicating that the prescriptions were likely illegal. In contrast, prescriptions for controlled substances can be filled without taking the necessary time. They allege that they were systematically pressurized to fill prescriptions containing prescriptions to confirm their validity. These practices resulted in millions of opioid pills and other controlled substances leaving Walgreens stores. It is now possible to leak illegally.”
According to the government’s complaint, from approximately August 2012 to the present, Walgreens knowingly wrote millions of prescriptions for controlled substances that had no legitimate medical purpose, were not valid, and were not issued in the ordinary course of professional business. claims. Among the millions of illegal prescriptions that Walgreens allegedly filled were prescriptions for dangerous and excessive amounts of opioids, prescriptions for early refills of opioids, and especially dangerous and abused prescriptions known as “Trinities.” It contained a prescription for a combination of drugs. Opioids, benzodiazepines, muscle relaxants.
The complaint alleges that Walgreens pharmacists filled these prescriptions despite clear “red flags” indicating the prescriptions were likely illegal. Walgreens allegedly ignored substantial evidence from multiple sources, including its own pharmacists and internal data, that its stores were dispensing illegal prescriptions.
The complaint further alleges that Walgreens systematically pressured pharmacists to fill prescriptions quickly without taking the time necessary to verify the validity of each prescription. Walgreens also allegedly deprived pharmacists of important information, including by preventing pharmacists from warning each other about certain prescribers.
The complaint alleges that Walgreens violated the CSA by knowingly filling illegal prescriptions for controlled substances and also violated the FCA when Walgreens sought reimbursement from federal health care programs. The lawsuit alleges that Walgreens’ actions fueled the opioid prescription crisis, and in one particularly tragic case, patients died of opioid overdoses shortly after filling illegal prescriptions at Walgreens. If Walgreens is found liable, it could be subject to civil penalties of up to $80,850 for each illegal prescription written in violation of the CSA, and may be subject to civil penalties of up to $80,850 for each illegal prescription written in violation of the FCA. Triple damages and applicable fines may be imposed for each prescription paid. The court may also grant injunctive relief to prevent Walgreens from committing further CSA violations.
“As alleged in the complaint, Walgreens illegally dispensed powerful controlled substances and illegally sought reimbursement from federal health care programs,” said Morris Paschall, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. “There was a continued disregard for the law and its obligations under the False Claims Act.” . “These laws are critical to protecting our communities from the dangers of the opioid epidemic. Our office is committed to ensuring that opioids are properly dispensed and that taxpayer funds are used to ensure legitimate pharmacy claims. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that it is only used for
“The ravages of the opioid crisis continue to unfold in the Middle District of Florida and across the nation,” said Roger B. Handberg, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida. “The filing of this civil lawsuit is an important step in our continued efforts to confront those responsible for the harm they have caused to our community.”
“Pharmacies play an important role in ensuring that only legal prescriptions for controlled substances are filled, and Walgreens failed to do so,” said Erek Baron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. “We are committed to holding Walgreens accountable for its role in the opioid epidemic that has devastated communities across the country, including Maryland.”
“This country is in the midst of a serious opioid epidemic, and New York is no exception,” said Carolyn Pokorny, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. “During the applicable period, Walgreens, which operated one of the largest pharmacy chains in the United States, including approximately 300 pharmacies in the East New York area, repeatedly ignored its obligations to keep these drugs out of the wrong hands. My office will continue to work with other members of the Department of Justice to combat the opioid crisis by holding accountable pharmacies that dispense illegal prescriptions.”
“The Department of Justice has prioritized both combating the opioid crisis and maintaining corporate responsibility, and the actions we are announcing today confirm our commitment,” said Maya D., First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Mr. Song said. “My office is committed to working with colleagues across the country to confront these issues and stop pharmacies and pharmacists from failing in their obligation to provide these dangerous drugs only to those with a genuine medical need. I’m happy.”
“Walgreens and its pharmacists have a duty to ensure that every prescription they fill is legal and responsibly issued. As this lawsuit alleges, Walgreens “The company failed in this duty and repeatedly ignored red flags warning of suspicious prescribing activity,” said DEA Principal Deputy Administrator George Papadopoulos. “Walgreens ignored its responsibilities and put the public at risk. DEA will continue to pursue and hold accountable individuals and companies who choose profit over patient safety.”
“Millions of Americans enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, and other public health programs expect pharmacies to dispense their medications responsibly. Pharmacies ignore federal law. But when we put profits over patients, we endanger the health of Americans and hurt taxpayers’ dollars,” said Christian J. Schrank, Deputy Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). the official said. “HHS-OIG remains diligent in pursuing entities involved in illegal activities that abuse the public’s trust in health care services.”
Four whistleblowers who previously worked at Walgreens across the country filed a whistleblower lawsuit under the FCA’s statutory provisions. These provisions permit private parties to litigate false claims on behalf of the United States and participate in any recovery. The law allows the United States to intervene and take over such litigation, as it has done here. The four cases have been combined and captioned “Outside the United States.” Novak v. Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. No. 18 C 5452 (NDIL).
U.S. intervention in this issue underscores the government’s efforts to combat health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from any source regarding potential fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement may be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
In this case, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Division, Consumer Protection Branch, Assistant Commissioner Amy Deline, Senior Litigation Attorney Donald Lorenzen, Trial Attorney Nicole Fraser, and Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch Assistant Commissioner Natalie Weitz and trial attorney Joshua Barron are representing him. , Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie R. Reidy of the Northern District of Illinois, Chief Randy Harwell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Tappy, Civil Division, Middle District of Florida, and Thomas Corcoran, Director of the Civil Division of Maryland. , Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot M. Schachner for the Eastern District of New York and Assistant U.S. Attorney Claire Worker for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Colorado and the Southern District of California, DEA, HHS-OIG, Defense Criminal Investigation Agency, Defense Health Agency (DHA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General, and FBI Chicago Field Office are investigating. provided tremendous support.
The Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable those who violated the law and fueled the opioid crisis. In March 2023, the Deputy Attorney General announced the creation of the Opioid Epidemic Civil Litigation Task Force. The task force will formalize and strengthen coordination of the department’s existing operations and consider new initiatives. Given the scope and duration of the crisis, the task force includes elements from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Consumer Protection Division and Commercial Litigation Division of the Civil Division, the Fraud Section, the DEA, and other departments. The task force directs the department’s civil litigation efforts regarding parties allegedly involved in the opioid epidemic, including diversion of prescription opioids.
The claims asserted against Defendants are mere allegations and liability has not been determined.
Walgreens has faced legal challenges from the state of Florida in recent years. In 2022, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody joined a coalition of his peers in other states to file a lawsuit against Walgreens, and Moody ultimately secured more than $680 million from Walgreens and sued the state. ‘s opioid lawsuit has ended.
Walgreens has become the 12th and final defendant in a state lawsuit that holds major opioid distributors, manufacturers and drug companies responsible for fueling the crisis. This announcement brings the total amount of funding secured through litigation efforts to more than $3 billion.
