The Justice Department says that CVS is agreeing to pay some 315 million dollars to settle allegations that it sold unnecessary opioid prescriptions.
“Not only does this settlement hold bad actors accountable for their fraudulent activities, but Americans are safer because of it,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “Today’s settlement is a significant milestone in the Justice Department’s efforts to combat the opioid epidemic by cracking down on pharmacies who unlawfully fulfill prescriptions for controlled substances.”
“Today’s settlement requires CVS to implement additional safeguards to ensure that prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances are dispensed only when medically appropriate,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The remedial measures in this agreement — including proactive monitoring of opioid prescribing patterns — will provide critical protections for patients and federal healthcare programs. The Department of Justice will continue to take steps to prevent the unlawful dispensing of opioids.”
The settlement ends the 2024 suit which alleged that the company sold the unnecessary prescriptions to pad its own profits.
CVS in a statement says that it disagrees with the allegations made in the suit and that it admits no wrongdoing.
(Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Photo: Brandon Bell / Getty Images News / Getty Images