The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Walgreens Boots Alliance, one of the nation’s leading drugstore chains, for allegedly distributing controlled substances without a legitimate medical justification.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on January 16, 2025, implicates Walgreens and its subsidiaries in a decade-long series of Controlled Substances Act (CSA) violations and violations subsequent False Claims Act claims by seeking unwarranted reimbursements from federal health care programs.
The government’s lawsuit claims that beginning in August 2012, Walgreens deliberately processed millions of prescriptions that were either medically unnecessary, invalid, or not dispensed within the bounds of standard professional practice.
The complaint states that among these prescriptions were prescriptions for opioids in unsafe volumes, premature refills of these drugs, and combinations known as “trinity” — a potent mixture including an opioid, a benzodiazepine and a muscle relaxant — known for its high abuse potential. .
The complaint further accuses Walgreens pharmacists of dispensing drugs despite blatant “red flags” suggesting illegitimacy.
It is alleged that Walgreens turned a blind eye to compelling evidence from its own pharmacists and internal data indicating the dispensing of illegal prescriptions.
The complaint describes how Walgreens allegedly placed undue pressure on pharmacists to expedite the filling of prescriptions at the expense of the due diligence required to verify the legality of each prescription.
It is also alleged that Walgreens withheld critical information from pharmacists, including restricting communication about questionable prescribers.
Walgreens is accused of violating the rules by deliberately processing these illegitimate prescriptions.
Senior Assistant U.S. Attorney General Brian Boynton said: “This lawsuit seeks to hold Walgreens accountable for the many years it failed to meet its obligations to distribute opioids and other drugs dangerous.
“Our complaint alleges that Walgreens pharmacists filled millions of prescriptions for controlled substances with clear red flags that the prescriptions were most likely illegal, and that Walgreens systematically pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions, including prescriptions for controlled substances, without taking the necessary time to confirm their validity.
“These practices allowed millions of opioid pills and other controlled substances to move illegally out of Walgreens stores.”
