CVS Pharmacy to pay US$315 million to settle US opioid lawsuit

NEW YORK: US-based chain CVS Pharmacy has agreed to pay US$315 million to resolve a lawsuit alleging that it filled unlawful opioid prescriptions and engaged in other fraudulent activity, federal prosecutors said on Tuesday.

"Today's settlement is a significant milestone in the Justice Department's efforts to combat the opioid epidemic by cracking down on pharmacies who unlawfully fulfil prescriptions for controlled substances," Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward said in a statement.

The settlement comes after prosecutors alleged that CVS illegally filled prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances between 2013 and 2025, according to the statement.

The complaint also accused CVS of filling prescriptions from "pill mill" prescribers "who issued large numbers of controlled substance prescriptions without any medical purpose".

In a statement, CVS confirmed a settlement with the Justice Department but said it had admitted no wrongdoing, adding: "We strongly disagree with the claims made in this case."

CVS employs more than 27,000 pharmacists at its stores across the United States and said they had implemented "programmes to help our pharmacists make the best decisions on behalf of patients".

The settlement resolves a civil lawsuit filed by whistleblower Hillary Estright, a former CVS employee, under a legal provision "which authorises private parties to sue on behalf of the United States and receive a share of any recovery".

Estright's share of the settlement has not yet been determined.