Justice Department lawsuit accuses Walgreens of filling millions of unlawful opioid prescriptions [Video]

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on Friday accusing Walgreens of filling millions of unlawful opioid prescriptions.

The civil suit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Walgreen Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co. and its various subsidiaries alleges the pharmacy giant knowingly filled millions of unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances from approximately August 2012 through to the present. Walgreens allegedly filled prescriptions for dangerous and excessive quantities of opioids, the lawsuit said, including early refills among other prescriptions. 

“Our complaint alleges that Walgreens pharmacists filled millions of controlled substance prescriptions with clear red flags that indicated the prescriptions were highly likely to be unlawful, and that Walgreens systematically pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions, including controlled substance prescriptions, without taking the time needed to confirm their validity,” Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division said in a statement. “These …