The US Justice Department has initiated litigation against Walgreens Boots Alliance, one of the nation’s leading pharmacy chains, for allegedly dispensing controlled substances without legitimate medical justification.
The suit, lodged 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 subsequent False Claims Act infringements through seeking unwarranted reimbursements from federal health care programmes.
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The government’s legal action contends that from August 2012 onwards Walgreens wilfully 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 such medications and combinations known as the “trinity”— a potent mix involving 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” suggestive of illegitimacy.
It is alleged that Walgreens turned a blind eye to compelling evidence from its own pharmacists and internal data pointing to the dispensation of unlawful prescriptions.
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By GlobalDataThe complaint describes how Walgreens purportedly exerted undue pressure on pharmacists to expedite prescription fulfilment at the expense of due diligence required to verify each prescription’s legality.
It is also alleged that Walgreens withheld critical information from pharmacists, including restricting communication about dubious prescribers.
Walgreens is accused of breaching by deliberately processing these illegitimate prescriptions.
US principal deputy assistant attorney general Brian Boynton stated: “This lawsuit seeks to hold Walgreens accountable for the many years that it failed to meet its obligations when dispensing dangerous opioids and other drugs.
“Our complaint alleges that Walgreens pharmacists filled millions of controlled substance prescriptions with clear red flags that indicated the prescriptions were highly likely to be unlawful, and that Walgreens systematically pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions, including controlled substance prescriptions, without taking the time needed to confirm their validity.
“These practices allowed millions of opioid pills and other controlled substances to flow illegally out of Walgreens stores.”
In December 2024, the Justice Department filed a civil complaint alleging that CVS Pharmacy and its subsidiaries dispensed “illegal” prescriptions, breaching the federal CSA.
