The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against CVS Pharmacy, alleging that the company knowingly filled illegal prescriptions for controlled substances, including opioids, and subsequently sought reimbursement from federal healthcare programs.
The lawsuit, filed in the District of Rhode Island, accuses CVS of ignoring red flags and filling prescriptions that lacked a legitimate medical purpose, were not valid, or were issued outside the usual course of professional practice.
Specifically, the DOJ alleges that CVS filled large quantities of prescriptions for controlled substances from prescribers it knew were engaged in “pill mill practices.” Pill mills are illegal pharmacies that dispense large numbers of controlled substances to patients who do not have a legitimate medical need for them.
The complaint alleges that CVS, despite having “substantial evidence from multiple sources, including its own pharmacists and internal data,” continued to fill these prescriptions, prioritizing corporate profits over patient safety.
The DOJ argues that CVS’s actions contributed to the opioid crisis and that the company violated both the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and the False Claims Act. The lawsuit was initiated by a whistleblower, a former CVS employee, who filed a complaint under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allows private citizens to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and share in any recovery.
CVS has strongly denied the allegations, stating that the lawsuit presents a “false narrative” and that the company has cooperated fully with the DOJ’s investigation for over four years. The company emphasized that many of the allegations in the complaint are not supported by existing statutes or regulations.
This lawsuit highlights the ongoing efforts by the government to address the opioid crisis and hold accountable entities that may have contributed to its devastating impact.