Pharmacists and other employees did not question illicit drug prescriptions from “pill mills.”
The Justice Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced a settlement of $50 million with Walmart. The superstore allegedly filled thousands of improper opioid prescriptions and other controlled drugs, violating the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
The initial complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware in 2020, alleged that Walmart’s pharmacists and compliance teams knowingly allowed the fulfillment of invalid prescriptions from known “pills mills” since 2013. Pharmacists at Walmart filed thousands of “refusal-to-fill” forms with the corporate compliance team, but the team neglected to act on the reports.
“This $50 million settlement makes clear that pharmacies have a responsibility to identify and prevent the unlawful dispensing of controlled substances,” said DEA Assistant Administrator Cheri Oz. “Filling illegitimate opioid prescriptions puts patients and communities at risk and undermines the safeguards designed to prevent the diversion and misuse of potentially addictive medications. This settlement addresses past conduct while establishing clear compliance obligations designed to strengthen safeguards and help prevent these failures from happening again.”
“Opioid addiction is a crisis, both nationally and in Delaware,” said U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wallace for the District of Delaware. “Every participant in the health-care system must be aware of the dangers posed by inappropriately prescribed opioids and must be a partner in preventing opioid abuse and diversion. This settlement is another important step in addressing the opioid crisis and ensuring that, when pharmacists and pharmacies see red flags, they meet their obligations under the Controlled Substances Act to stem the tide of dangerous prescriptions.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Assistant Administrator Oz as she oversees efforts to prevent the overprescribing of opioids.
- For pharmacists and prescribers of opioids to be be aware of and compliant with the Controlled Substances Act.
- For Attorney General Blanche and U.S. attorneys as they hold professional healthcare workers and corporations accountable.
Sources: Department of Justice
