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CVS, DOJ reach $315M settlement in opioid prescription case

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CVS, DOJ reach $315M settlement in opioid prescription case

CVS Health has reached a $315 million settlement with the Department of Justice that resolves allegations the pharmacy giant knowingly filled unlawful opioid prescriptions.

The department sued CVS in December 2024, alleging that the company violated the Controlled Substances Act and False Claims Act by illegally filling prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances and then seeking payment from Medicare and other government programs for those drugs.

The government alleged that the actions took place from October 2013 to December 2025.

The lawsuit claimed that CVS filled prescriptions for "dangerous and excessive" amounts of opioids, filled prescriptions too early and supplied "trinity" prescriptions that combine opioids with benzodiazepine, a muscle relaxant. In addition, DOJ argued that the company would fill prescriptions from illegal "pill mills."

The department also alleged that the unlawful actions stemmed from decisions that "prioritized corporate profits over patient safety," including staffing protocols, incentive programs and performance metrics.

In addition to the monetary fee under the settlement, CVS has agreed to implement a hotline that will allow employees or the public to report suspected cases of the illegal dispensation of controlled substances, and proactively monitor the dispensing behaviors at its pharmacies.

"Not only does this settlement hold bad actors accountable for their fraudulent activities, but Americans are safer because of it," said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. in the announcement.



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