Dec. 19 (UPI) — The Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit against CVS Pharmacy charging that the establishment became a “pill mill” for those illegally filling prescriptions for opioids without a legitimate medical reason.
The department said CVS violated the Controlled Substance Act from 2013 to the present for illegally filling prescriptions and seeking reimbursement from federal healthcare programs.
“Among a large number of unlawful prescriptions that CVS allegedly filled were prescriptions for dangerous and excessive quantities of opioids, early fills of opioids, and ‘trinity’ prescriptions, an especially dangerous and abused combination of drugs made up of an opioid, a benzodiazepine and a muscle relaxant,” the Justice Department said in a statement.
The Justice Department charged that CVS prioritized corporate profits over the law and public health and safety with its performance metrics, incentive compensation, and staffing policies helping drive the allegedly illegal activity.
“Opioid deaths remain a scourge on communities across Rhode Island and the nation, robbing families of loved ones and leaving a path of devastation in their wake,” U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha said in a statement.
“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.”
The Justice Department said whistleblower, former CVS employee Hillary Estright, filed an action on Oct. 17, 2019.
“A pharmacy is the final step in the pharmaceutical distribution process that is in place to keep customers safe,” Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration, said in a statement. “In the fight against the opioid epidemic, DEA will continue to relentlessly in holding those accountable who violate the drug laws and place our communities in danger.”