Walgreens Ignored Red Flags in Dispensing Opioids, US Says
- DOJ says Walgreens leaders pressured pharmacists to act fast
- Lawsuit comes as company challenges new US dispensing rules
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The Department of Justice sued Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. for allegedly dispensing opioids and other controlled substances at pharmacies across the US while ignoring red flags that the prescriptions were likely illegal.
The lawsuit claims Walgreens pharmacists filled millions of prescriptions that lacked a legitimate medical purpose and then sought reimbursements under various federal health care programs. The suit, filed Thursday in federal court in Illinois, alleges that Walgreens pharmacists faced pressure from corporate leadership to dispense the drugs quickly.