For those who don’t even know what is going on with this CVS Opioid Prescriptions Lawsuit for now, well, it has everything to do with what CVS did with opioid prescriptions, and the allegations made by the ex-CVS pharmacist, and that’s what brought this matter to this level, where it is being talked about a lot in the country. Let’s get to the details here and see how it went and what the updates are for now.
What Started This Lawsuit?
This entire matter became super famous and a lot of people’s concern when it was actually an ex, aka a former CVS pharmacist, who came up with this complaint. To be more specific about that, well, she went on to file a whistleblower complaint back in October 2019. And what for or regarding what? Well, that was mainly about requesting the government to look deeply into what CVS is doing and launch a thorough investigation because this complaint was mainly about some wrongdoing by the company. So, sure enough, later down the line, the U.S. Department of Justice got involved in all this matter.
In cases like these, actually, the authorities get involved when the allegations made are really big or serious and if there is already a suspicion when doing just a little bit of digging on the surface level. So, sure enough, when that was done, there were some signs here and there, and sure enough, then the U.S. Department of Justice went full investigation mode on this one.
What Is The Government Saying CVS Did?
The Justice Department asserts in their statement that CVS dispensed controlled-substance prescriptions despite there being clear indicators that should have prompted a thorough scrutiny of the prescriptions by the pharmacists. The filing alleges this type of conduct dates back to October 2013, so this trial is about a little more than a decade of prescription conduct.
The government also accuses CVS of drastically oversupplying opioids and even of giving out risky drug combinations. One of the combinations that the news sources mention is the so-called “trinity,” which is constituted by an opioid, a benzodiazepine, and a muscle relaxant. Further, the government alleges that despite knowing the prescribers were essentially running pill mills, CVS continued to fill their prescriptions.
The complaint also points out that CVS resorted to charging federal health care programs such as Medicare and Medicaid for some of these prescriptions. Therefore, this lawsuit is not only about the proliferation of opioids, but also about CVS being paid by the government for the prescription drugs that, according to the DOJ, were illegal from the very beginning.
What Examples Are Mentioned In The Case?
The lawsuit references a number of real examples to highlight those instances that authorities consider as a pattern. A first example is a doctor in Alabama. Lawsuit accuses CVS of still filling hundreds of the doctor’s prescriptions after 2015 when some internal memos expressed concerns and even mentioned that the doctor was under investigation. The doctor was arrested in 2016.
The second case reported by the media is about a doctor in Pennsylvania. The authorities say that CVS gave out thousands of the doctor’s prescriptions even after the company’s employees noted the doctor’s actions to be suspicious and the doctor was also under investigation. In some cases it is said that patients got prescriptions without proper medical examinations.
Did CVS Already Settle Opioid Cases Before This?
Yes, and that’s probably the reason why many people get confused about it. It was last November, when CVS made a huge decision of paying $5 billion approximately to settle opioid-related cases for the next 10 years, this was a result of states, cities, counties, and tribes bringing thousands of claims against them. In fact, CVS did not admit to any wrongdoing with that settlement.
