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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a civil complaint in federal court alleging that CVS Pharmacy filled illegal prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and False Claims Act (FCA).
The government’s complaint targets the nation’s largest pharmaceutical company, which has more than 9,000 stores nationwide, alleging that it “knowingly filled prescriptions for controlled substances that had no legitimate medical purpose, were not legitimate , and/or were not issued in the ordinary course of professional practice.”
The DOJ alleges that the drugstore giant has continued its illegal practices from October 17, 2013, to the present day.
The Justice Department alleged that CVS filled excessive and dangerous amounts of opioids, initial dose of opioid and “Trinity Prescriptions” illegally.
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A lawsuit accuses CVS Health of filling illegal prescriptions. (Joe Riddle/Getty Images/Getty Images)
The “Trinity Prescription” is a combination of prescription medications that includes an opioid, a benzodiazepine, and a muscle relaxant.
The complaint also claims that CVS filled prescriptions written by prescribers it knew engaged in “pill mill practices,” which occurs when prescribers dispense large quantities of medications for no medical purpose. Were.
“According to the complaint, CVS ignored substantial evidence from multiple sources, including its own pharmacists and internal data, indicating that its stores were dispensing illegal prescriptions,” the DOJ said.
Opioid hydrocodone pills at a pharmacy in Portsmouth, Ohio on June 21, 2017. (Reuters/Brian Woolston/File photo/Reuters)
Justice Department CVS has been accused of violating the acts because of its performance metrics, compensation incentives, and staffing policies.
“CVS set staffing levels too low to meet pharmacists’ performance metrics and comply with their legal obligations,” the complaint states.
The DOJ alleged that it also withheld important information from pharmacists that could have prevented the volume of illegal prescriptions filled.
The DOJ also alleged that CVS helped fuel the ongoing opioid crisis in the US through its misconduct.
U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha said, “This lawsuit alleges that CVS failed to fulfill its vital role as gatekeeper to dangerous prescription opioids and, instead, facilitated the illegal distribution of these highly addictive drugs, “That includes pill mill prescribers.”
“When corporations like CVS put profits at the expense of patient safety and burden their pharmacy staff so much that they can’t perform the basic responsibility of ensuring prescriptions are legitimate, we use every tool at our disposal to see that Will make them answer for this.” Said.
The DOJ said CVS could face civil penalties for each unlawful prescription filled in violation of the CSA, penalties for each prescription reimbursed by federal health care programs, and an injunction to prevent CVS from further violating the CSA. You may have to face relief.
a cvs pharmacy (Jeffrey Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images/Getty Images)
A spokesperson for Fox News Digital said in a statement CVS Pharmacy CVS officials “strongly disagree” with the allegations and “false narrative” presented by the DOJ.
| anchor | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cvs | CVS Health Corporation | 59.08 | -0.77 |
-1.29% |
“We have cooperated with the DOJ’s investigation for more than four years, and we strongly disagree with the allegations and false narrative set forth in this complaint,” the company said. “We will vigorously defend ourselves against this misguided federal lawsuit, which follows years of litigation by state and local governments on these issues – claims that have already been settled by a global settlement with participating state attorneys general.” Has been resolved to a great extent.
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CVS said, “The government’s lawsuit seeks to impose a changing standard for pharmacy practice. Many of the litigable principles set forth in the complaint are not found in any statute or regulation and relate to topics on which the government has “Refused to provide guidance.” “Each prescription in question was for a FDA-approved opioid medication Prescribed by a practitioner who is licensed, authorized, and empowered by the government itself to write controlled-substance prescriptions.”
A sign for the Food and Drug Administration outside its headquarters in White Oak, MD, on July 20, 2020. (Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images/Getty Images)
A CVS Pharmacy spokesperson pointed to its history of being an industry leader in developing ways to fight the opioid crisis.
“As an example, 12 years ago, CVS Pharmacy launched a first-of-its-kind program to block controlled-substance prescriptions written by doctors of potential concern. To date, we have blocked more than 1,250 physicians. Granted, including approximately 600 doctors, the government continues to license,” CVS said.
“This program is not required by any statute or regulation, and CVS Health has repeatedly defended lawsuits from those who charge that we go too far in blocking opioid prescriptions.
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“The government’s lawsuit exacerbates a serious dilemma for pharmacists, who are accused of simultaneously prescribing too many and too few opioids.”
