The U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit Wednesday in Rhode Island, alleging that CVS Pharmacy filled illegal prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act and that some illegal prescriptions were transferred to federal health care programs in violation of the False Claims Act. He claims he was seeking redemption. CVS, headquartered in Rhode Island, is the largest pharmacy chain in the United States and operates more than 9,000 pharmacies across the United States. The lawsuit alleges that “from October 17, 2013 to the present, CVS knowingly filled prescriptions for controlled substances that had no legitimate medical purpose, were not valid, and were not issued in the ordinary course of professional business. ” claims. This includes prescriptions for dangerous drugs and drugs. “CVS also engages in ‘pill mill operations,'” the complaint states, “prescribing excessive amounts of opioids, pre-filling opioids, and prescribing ‘Trinity,’ a particularly dangerous and abused combination of drugs consisting of opioids, benzodiazepines, and muscle.” A prescriber writes a large number of prescriptions for a controlled substance without medical purpose.” There is. CVS is accused of ignoring substantial evidence from multiple sources, including its own pharmacists and internal data, that its stores were dispensing illegal prescriptions. The lawsuit alleges that CVS’ violations stem from: The Justice Department said in a statement that the company has set mandatory performance metrics, incentive pay and staffing policies that prioritize company profits over patient safety. CVS said staffing levels were set too low for pharmacists to meet performance indicators and comply with legal obligations. The chain is also accused of preventing pharmacists from warning colleagues about certain subscribers, which the Justice Department said could have reduced the number of illegal prescriptions filled. Ta. CVS’ actions “fueled the prescription opioid crisis, and in some particularly tragic cases, patients died of opioid overdoses shortly after filling illegal prescriptions at CVS,” the Justice Department said. “Opioid deaths continue to scourge communities in Rhode Island and across the country, taking away loved ones and leaving behind deplorable conditions,” said Zachary Cunha, U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island. “When companies put profits over patient safety and overburden patients, they are on a path of disastrous consequences.” “We will use every tool at our disposal to help our pharmacy staff meet their fundamental responsibility of ensuring prescriptions are legitimate,” the lawsuit says. They allege that their actions helped fuel the prescription opioid crisis. According to the Department of Justice, if CVS is found liable, it could face civil penalties for each illegal prescription written in violation of the Controlled Substances Act, and could face federal medical penalties in violation of the False Claims Act. Each prescription reimbursed under the program could result in treble damages and applicable penalties. “According to our complaint, CVS repeatedly filled prescriptions for illegal controlled substances and pressured pharmacists to fill such prescriptions without taking the necessary time to review the prescriptions.” “Today’s complaint holds CVS accountable for its wrongdoing, as this conduct allegedly contributed to the opioid crisis and opioid-related deaths,” said Brian Boynton, Principal Deputy Attorney General of the Department’s Civil Affairs Division. ” he said.
The United States Department of Justice civil lawsuit The lawsuit alleges that CVS Pharmacy filled illegal prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act and sought reimbursement for some illegal prescriptions from federal health care programs in violation of the False Claims Act.
CVS, headquartered in Rhode Island, is the largest pharmacy chain in the United States and operates more than 9,000 pharmacies across the United States.
“From October 17, 2013 to the present, CVS knowingly filled prescriptions for controlled substances that lacked a legitimate medical purpose, were not valid, and were not issued in the ordinary course of professional business,” the complaint states. ” he claims.
This includes prescribing dangerous and excessive amounts of opioids, premature filling of opioids, and “trinity” prescribing, which is a particularly dangerous and abused drug combination consisting of opioids, benzodiazepines, and muscle relaxants.
The complaint alleges, “CVS also filled out large numbers of prescriptions for controlled substances written by prescribers that it knew were engaged in ‘pill mill operations,’ which means that prescribers were able to dispense large amounts of controlled substances without a medical purpose.” “It is the act of issuing a prescription for drugs.”
Additionally, CVS is accused of ignoring substantial evidence from multiple sources, including its own pharmacists and internal data, that its stores were dispensing illegal prescriptions.
The complaint alleges that CVS’ violations stem from company-mandated performance metrics, incentive pay, and staffing policies that prioritize corporate profits over patient safety.
The Department of Justice said CVS’ staffing levels were set too low to meet pharmacist performance metrics and comply with legal obligations. statement.
The pharmacy chain is also accused of preventing pharmacists from warning colleagues about certain enrollees, which the Justice Department said may have reduced the number of illegal prescriptions filled.
CVS’ actions “fueled the prescription opioid crisis, and in particularly tragic cases, patients died of opioid overdoses shortly after filling illegal prescriptions at CVS,” the Justice Department said.
“Opioid deaths continue to ravage communities in Rhode Island and across the country, taking loved ones away and leaving a trail of devastation in their wake,” said Zachary Cunha, U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island.
“When companies like CVS prioritize profits over patient safety, overburden pharmacy staff, and fail to meet their fundamental responsibility to ensure prescriptions are legitimate, we believe they will We will use every means possible to respond to that request.”
The lawsuit alleges that CVS’ actions helped fuel the prescription opioid crisis.
According to the Department of Justice, if CVS is found liable, it could face civil penalties for each illegal prescription written in violation of the Controlled Substances Act, and could face federal medical penalties in violation of the False Claims Act. Triple damages and applicable penalties may be assessed for each prescription reimbursed under the program.
“Our complaint alleges that CVS repeatedly filled prescriptions for illegal controlled substances and pressured pharmacists to fill such prescriptions without taking the necessary time to verify their validity. ” said Brian Boynton, principal deputy assistant attorney general in the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
“Today’s charges hold CVS accountable for its wrongdoing, as this conduct has been credited with contributing to the opioid crisis and opioid-related deaths.”
