CVS in Hot Water Over Opioid Prescriptions

The US Department of Justice has sued CVS, claiming the pharmacy chain filled illegal opioid prescriptions and billed federal health programs. The complaint, filed in Rhode Island, says CVS violated the Controlled Substances Act by dispensing large quantities and dangerous combinations of opioids from 2013 to the present. The Justice Department alleges that CVS frequently filled prescriptions from doctors running "pill mills" – clinics that prescribe opioids without a valid reason. The company's emphasis on performance metrics led to ignoring warning signs, and some patients died shortly after filling these prescriptions. CVS has a history of settling similar claims. In 2022, they agreed to pay nearly $5 billion over a decade without admitting wrongdoing. This lawsuit, initially a whistleblower complaint from a former employee, accuses CVS of understaffing and pressuring pharmacists to fill prescriptions quickly without proper checks. The complaint cites specific cases, like one Alabama doctor whose prescriptions were filled despite being under investigation. Another Pennsylvania doctor was prescribed for despite alarming online reviews. The lawsuit mentions 10 patients who died after filling illegal prescriptions at CVS. Opioid overdoses have claimed over 800, 000 lives in the US since 1999. Preliminary data shows a decrease in overdoses last year.