Walgreens to pay up to $350mn over 'unlawful opioid prescriptions'

By AFP

US pharmacy chain Walgreens has agreed to pay up to $350 million in a settlement with federal authorities over allegedly invalid prescriptions it filled, and sought payment for under health care programs.

Walgreens was said to have "illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances," the Justice Department said in a statement Monday.

The chain later "sought payment for many of those invalid prescriptions by Medicare and other federal health care programs."

The settlement amount was $300 million and is based on the company's ability to foot the bill -- but Walgreens will owe an added $50 million if the firm is sold, merged or transferred before 2032.

The prescriptions in question were filled between approximately August 2012 through March 2023, the department said.

They included "prescriptions for excessive quantities of opioids, opioid prescriptions filled significantly early," alongside that for an "especially dangerous and abused combination of three drugs known as a 'trinity.'"

Walgreens pharmacists were said to have filled the prescriptions despite clear signs that there was a high chance they were invalid due to lacking legitimate medical purposes and other issues.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the Department of Justice is "committed to ending the opioid crisis and holding bad actors accountable."

Walgreens has also entered into agreements with authorities to address its future obligations in dispensing controlled substances, with further compliance measures.