Justice Department sues Walgreens over alleged part in opioid crisis

Justice Department sues Walgreens over alleged part in opioid crisis 
Becker's Hospital Review; by Madeline Ashley; 1/17/25 
The Justice Department on Jan. 16 filed a civil complaint against Walgreens Boots Alliance and its subsidiaries alleging unlawful dispensation of millions of prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, also alleges that Walgreens sought reimbursements from federal health programs in violation of the False Claims Act, according to a Jan. 17 news release. The Justice Department alleges that Walgreens knowingly filled millions of invalid controlled substance prescriptions since August 2012, including excessive opioid quantities, early refills and a "dangerous and abused combination of drugs" ... The complaint suggests pharmacists at Walgreens filled the prescriptions "despite clear red flags" indicating the prescriptions were likely unlawful, ignoring other internal data and evidence from pharmacists about dispensing unlawful prescriptions.