CVS agrees to $315 million settlement over unlawful opioid prescriptions

CVS Pharmacy and affiliates will pay $315 million to resolve a civil lawsuit alleging they filled unlawful opioid prescriptions and sought reimbursement from federal healthcare programs.

Driving the news: The Department of Justice accused CVS of violating the Controlled Substances Act and the False Claims Act by filling prescriptions for excessive quantities of opioids, early refills, and other medically unnecessary controlled substances.

Prosecutors said CVS dispensed medications prescribed by providers operating as “pill mills,” knowing or having reason to know the prescriptions lacked legitimate medical purpose.

The government further alleged that CVS allowed staffing shortages and incentivized performance measures that pressured pharmacists to fill prescriptions without sufficient scrutiny.

Many of the prescriptions filled by CVS were billed to Medicaid and other federal health programs.

The other side: CVS stated their pharmacists received safe use training and that the company had implemented robust programs to support proper medication decisions, but they denied wrongdoing and said the settlement does not admit liability.

Zoom in: Under the settlement, CVS agreed to adopt additional safeguards to ensure controlled substances like opioids are dispensed only when medically appropriate.

What they’re saying: “Not only does this settlement hold bad actors accountable for their fraudulent activities, but Americans are safer because of it,” Associated Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. said in a statement. “Today’s settlement is a significant milestone in the Justice Department’s efforts to combat the opioid epidemic by cracking down on pharmacies who unlawfully fulfill prescriptions for controlled substances.”