The department claims the practice contributed to the rise in opioid-related deaths.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) sued CVS Health last week, alleging that the company knowingly filled extra, unlawful prescriptions to boost its performance metrics. Justice Department officials believe that the company also knew that these prescriptions, mostly distributed between October 2023 to the present day, served no legitimate medical purpose.
The agency does not fault pharmacy workers. Officials theorize that CVS Health took advantage of its low staffing levels, making pharmacists trying to meet daily prescription demands more susceptible to processing fake prescriptions from suspicious prescribers.
“This lawsuit alleges that CVS failed to exercise its critical role as gatekeeper of dangerous prescription opioids and, instead, facilitated the illegal proliferation of these highly addictive drugs, including by pill mill prescribers,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha for the District of Rhode Island, where the complaint originated.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Attorney Cunha to seek God’s direction as he litigates the case against CVS.
- For U.S. health officials as they track the role of prescription drugs in the opioid crisis.
Sources: The Hill,
