Walgreens to pay up to $350 million in U.S. opioid settlement

Walgreens has agreed to wage up to $350 cardinal successful a colony with the U.S. Department of Justice, who accused the pharmacy of illegally filling millions of prescriptions successful the past decennary for opioids and different controlled substances.

The nationwide drugstore concatenation indispensable wage the authorities astatine slightest $300 cardinal and volition beryllium different $50 cardinal if the institution is sold, merged, oregon transferred earlier 2032, according to the colony reached past Friday.

The government’s complaint, filed successful January successful the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that Walgreens knowingly filled millions of amerciable prescriptions for controlled substances betwixt August 2012 and March 2023. These see prescriptions for excessive opioids and prescriptions filled importantly early.

“We powerfully disagree with the government’s ineligible mentation and admit nary liability,” Walgreens spokesperson Fraser Engerman said successful a statement. “This solution allows america to adjacent each opioid related litigation with federal, state, and section governments and provides america with favorable presumption from a cashflow position portion we absorption connected our turnaround strategy.”

Amid slumping store visits and shrinking marketplace share, Walgreens announced it was closing 1,200 stores astir the state past October. Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy astatine the extremity of 2023 arsenic it was besides dealing with losses and opioid suit settlements. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a akin suit against CVS successful December.

The ailment says Walgreens pharmacists filled these prescriptions contempt wide reddish flags that the prescriptions were highly apt to beryllium invalid, and the institution pressured its pharmacists to capable them quickly. The authorities alleges Walgreen's compliance officials ignored “substantial evidence” that its stores were filling unlawful prescriptions and withheld important accusation connected opioid prescribers from its pharmacists.

Walgreens past allegedly sought outgo for galore of the invalid prescriptions done Medicare and different national healthcare programs successful usurpation of the False Claims Act, according to the government.

The U.S. Justice Department has moved to disregard its ailment successful airy of Friday's settlement.

“Pharmacies person a ineligible work to prescribe controlled substances successful a harmless and nonrecreational manner, not dispense unsafe drugs conscionable for profit,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi successful a statement. “This Department of Justice is committed to ending the opioid situation and holding atrocious actors accountable for their nonaccomplishment to support patients from addiction.”

Walgreen has besides entered into an statement with the Drug Enforcement Administration to amended its compliance with rules astir dispensing controlled substances, support policies and procedures requiring pharmacists to corroborate the validity of controlled substance prescriptions, and support a strategy for blocking prescriptions from prescribers that are producing illegitimate prescriptions.

With the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Walgreen has agreed to found and support a compliance programme that includes training, committee oversight, and periodic reporting to the bureau regarding the pharmacy's dispensing of controlled substances.

“In the midst of the opioid situation that has plagued our nation, we trust connected pharmacies to forestall not facilitate the unlawful organisation of these perchance harmful substances,” said Norbert E. Vint, Deputy Inspector General of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, successful a statement.

The colony resolves 4 cases brought by erstwhile Walgreens worker whistleblowers. In 2022, CVS and Walgreens agreed to wage more than $10 billion successful a multi-state colony of lawsuits brought against them implicit the toll of the opioid crisis.

Over the past 8 years, drugmakers, wholesalers and pharmacies person agreed to much than $50 cardinal worthy of settlements with governments — with astir of the wealth required to beryllium utilized to fight the opioid crisis.

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