Walgreens To Pay $300 Million In Opioid Lawsuit Settlement

[KALE CAREY]

WALGREENS AGREED TO PAY A 300 MILLION DOLLAR SETTLEMENT MONDAY, APRIL 21.

THE SETTLEMENT STEMMED FROM A LAWSUIT FILED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE THAT ACCUSED THE PHARMACY GIANT OF ILLEGALLY FILLING MILLIONS OF PRESCRIPTIONS FOR PAINKILLERS AND OTHER CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES.

THE DOJ SAID THE PAYOUT, INCLUDING 4% INTEREST ANNUALLY, IS SET TO BE PAID OVER SIX YEARS.

DOJ PROSECUTORS SAID WALGREENS WOULD OWE AN ADDITIONAL 50 MILLION DOLLARS IF THE COMPANY IS SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR MERGED BEFORE THE FISCAL YEAR 2032. 

A WALGREENS SPOKESPERSON RESPONDED ON THE PHARMACY’S BEHALF. 

“WE STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH THE GOVERNMENT’S LEGAL THEORY AND ADMIT NO LIABILITY,” THE SPOKESPERSON SAID. “OUR PHARMACISTS ARE DEDICATED HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS WHO CARE DEEPLY ABOUT PATIENT SAFETY AND CONTINUE TO PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN PROVIDING EDUCATION AND RESOURCES TO HELP COMBAT OPIOID MISUSE AND ABUSE ACROSS OUR COUNTRY.”

THE LAWSUIT FILED IN JANUARY, ACCUSES WALGREENS OF NEGLECTING “RED FLAGS” THAT SHOWED PRESCRIPTIONS WERE UNLAWFUL AND  FILLED THEM ANYWAY. DOJ ATTORNEYS ACCUSED WALGREENS OF VIOLATING THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT AND FALSE CLAIMS ACT, WHICH AIMS TO REIMBURSE COMPANIES THROUGH FEDERAL HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS LIKE MEDICARE.

WALGREENS AND OTHER DRUG COMPANIES HAVE PAID OUT ROUGHLY 50 BILLION DOLLARS TO SETTLE LAWSUITS AND PROBES IN RECENT YEARS THAT ACCUSED THEM OF CONTRIBUTING TO THE OPIOID ADDICTION CRISIS IN THE U.S.

FROM 1999 TO 2022, THE CDC ESTIMATED NEARLY 727,THOUSAND PEOPLE DIED FROM DRUG OVERDOSES IN THE U.S.

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