Drugstore giant Walgreens “systematically” pushed pharmacists to quickly fill prescriptions with obvious red flags, helping drive unneccesary deaths and the opioid crisis, according to a lawsuit announced today from the Department of Justice.
“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,” Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, said in a statement.
DOJ accuses Walgreens of ignoring ‘red flags’ and driving opioid crisis with invalid prescriptions Massive pharmacy chain has paid millions in opioid settlements already.
The suit alleges Walgreens, which has more than 12,000 locations across the world, ignored its own pharmacists, internal data, and legal obligations around prescribed controlled substances to quickly fill orders.
“Walgreens stands behind our pharmacists, dedicated healthcare professionals who live in the communities they serve, filling legitimate prescriptions for FDA-approved medications written by DEA-licensed prescribers in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.”.
