The US Department of Justice has commenced litigation against Walgreens Boots Alliance, one of the nation's leading pharmacy chains, for allegedly dispensing controlled substances without a valid medical justification.
The suit, filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on 16 January 2025, implicates Walgreens and its subsidiaries in a decade-long pattern of Controlled Substances Act (CSA) violations and False Claims Act violations subsequent by seeking unwarranted reimbursements from federal health care programs.
The government's legal action alleges that, beginning in August 2012, Walgreens knowingly processed millions of prescriptions that were either medically unnecessary, invalid or not issued within the bounds of standard professional practice.
The complaint states that among these prescriptions were those for opioids in dangerous volumes, premature refills of medications and such combinations known as the “trinity” – a potent mixture containing an opioid, a benzodiazepine and a muscle relaxant – which is known for high abuse potential. .
The complaint further accuses Walgreens pharmacists of dispensing medications despite glaring “red flags” suggesting illegality.
Walgreens allegedly turned a blind eye to compelling evidence from its own pharmacists and internal data pointing to the toleration of illegal prescriptions.
The complaint describes how Walgreens allegedly placed undue pressure on pharmacists to speed up the process of filling a prescription at the expense of the due diligence required to verify the legitimacy of each prescription.
Walgreens is also alleged to have withheld vital information from pharmacists, including limiting communication about questionable prescribers.
Walgreens is accused of violating conditions by knowingly processing these illegal prescriptions.
Chief Deputy Assistant US Attorney Brian Boynton said: “This lawsuit seeks to hold Walgreens accountable for the many years it failed to fulfill its obligations in distributing dangerous opioids and other drugs.
“Our complaint alleges that Walgreens pharmacists filled millions of controlled substance prescriptions with clear red flags indicating that the prescriptions were highly likely to be illegal, and that Walgreens systematically pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions, including controlled substance prescriptions, without taking the necessary time to do so. confirm their authenticity.
“These practices allowed millions of opioid pills and other controlled substances to flow illegally out of Walgreens stores.”