WOONSOCKET (dpa-AFX) - According to a civil lawsuit filed by the Justice Department, CVS Pharmacy Inc.(CVS) and its subsidiaries have engaged in unlawful activities of 'dispensing massive quantities of opioids and other controlled substances to fuel its own profits at the expense of public health and safety.'
The lawsuit alleged that the largest pharmacy chain in the U.S. had knowingly filled questionable prescriptions for controlled substances, such as 'dangerous and excessive quantities of opioids' and 'trinity cocktails' - a combination of drugs made up of 'an opioid, a benzodiazepine and a muscle relaxant.'
'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,' U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha for the District of Rhode Island said.
The DOJ suit claimed that instead of prioritizing safety, CVS ignored 'egregious red flags' and allegedly pressured pharmacists to 'fill prescriptions as quickly as possible, without assessing their legitimacy'.
'Each of the prescriptions in question was for an FDA-approved opioid medication prescribed by a practitioner who the government itself licensed, authorized, and empowered to write controlled-substance prescriptions,' Amy Thibault, director of external communications for CVS, defended the company.
The lawsuit further alleged that CVS disregarded recommendations from its internal experts and evidence from pharmacists, failing to implement necessary compliance measures 'primarily due to fear that they would slow the speed of prescription filling and increase labor costs.'
Additionally, CVS is accused of violating the False Claims Act by seeking reimbursement from federal health care programs for dubious prescriptions.
If found liable, the company will face civil penalties for each unlawful prescription filled, as well as additional penalties for the company's alleged illegal practices.
'We will defend ourselves vigorously against this misguided federal lawsuit, which follows on the heels of years of litigation over these issues by state and local governments - claims that already have been largely resolved by a global agreement with the participating state Attorneys General,' Thibault responded in a written statement.
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