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CVS to pay $315 million settling DOJ opioid-dispensing lawsuit

Justice Department resolves 2024 case accusing CVS pharmacies of filling illegitimate opioid prescriptions for profit.

newest coverage 6h agosummary written 12h ago30 pieces1 likes & upvotes NewswiresMastodonReddit

What to know

  • CVS will pay $315 million to resolve a 2024 DOJ lawsuit alleging it filled medically unnecessary opioid prescriptions, including from 'pill mills.'
  • The settlement includes no admission of wrongdoing; CVS says it disputes the claims and had already implemented strong dispensing safeguards.
  • It adds to over $50 billion in opioid-related settlements by pharmacies, drugmakers and wholesalers over the past decade, following similar federal deals with Walgreens and Walmart.

“implement additional safeguards to ensure that prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances are dispensed only when medically appropriate”

Brett Shumate, Assistant Attorney General, DOJ Civil Division · Baltimore Sun (AP) ↗ · Oct 12

CVS Pharmacy Inc. Defendant / settling companyU.S. Department of Justice PlaintiffStanley Woodward Associate Attorney GeneralBrett Shumate Assistant Attorney General, DOJ Civil Division

CVS to pay $315 million settling DOJ opioid-dispensing lawsuit
Baltimore Sun

How it unfolded 3 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

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yesterday8 AM4 PMnow · 4:44 AM ET
  1. 3

    Coverage situates deal among $50B+ in opioid settlements

    Reports noted the settlement follows over a decade of opioid-related settlements by drugmakers, wholesalers and pharmacies exceeding $50 billion, including recent federal deals with Walgreens and Walmart.

    “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…”
    — Stanley Woodward, Associate Attorney General · source
  2. 2

    CVS denies wrongdoing, defends pharmacist training

    CVS said in a statement it strongly disagreed with the lawsuit's claims, that the settlement admits no wrongdoing, and that pharmacists are trained to make the best decisions for patients.

    “best-in-class…”
    — CVS statement
  3. 1

    CVS agrees to $315 million settlement with DOJ

    CVS Pharmacy Inc. and subsidiaries agreed to pay $315 million to resolve the case; the deal requires additional safeguards for dispensing controlled substances but includes no admission of wrongdoing.

    1. 17 outlets first by Fast Company, 14h ago · also Investing.com News, Seeking Alpha, Washington Examiner, Forbes, The Hill, MedPage Today +10 · read ↗

    2. 2 outlets first by Political.org, 16h ago · also US Department of Justice · read ↗

  4. background

    DOJ sues CVS over opioid dispensing practices — The Justice Department, under the Biden administration, filed a lawsuit accusing CVS of violating the Controlled Substances Act by filling illegitimate high-dose opioid prescriptions, including from 'pill mills,' allegedly to fuel profits.