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CVS agreed to pay $315 million to resolve Justice Department allegations that the pharmacy chain illegally filled prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances and sought payment for many of them from Medicare and other federal health care programs.
The settlement resolves a case brought by the federal government in 2024 alleging that CVS knowingly filled prescriptions for controlled substances that did not have a legitimate medical purpose or were dispensed outside the usual course of professional practice.
The allegations cover prescriptions filled between October 2013 and December 2025, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“Not only does this settlement hold bad actors accountable for their fraudulent activities, but Americans are also safer because of it,” Assistant Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. said in a statement.
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CVS has agreed to pay $315 million to resolve Justice Department allegations that the pharmacy chain illegally filled prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances. (Zak Bennett/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
“Today’s settlement is an important step in the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat the opioid epidemic by cracking down on pharmacies that illegally fill prescriptions for controlled substances,” Woodward added.
CVS disputed the government’s allegations and did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
“Our more than 27,000 CVS pharmacists do their part to help keep America healthy and are highly trained in the safe and proper use of all medications,” CVS said in a statement to Reuters.
According to the DOJ, CVS allegedly filled prescriptions involving excessive amounts of opioids, early refills and unsafe drug combinations, including so-called “trinitarian” prescriptions – a combination of an opioid, a benzodiazepine and a muscle relaxant.
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The Justice Department alleged that CVS pharmacies filled prescriptions involving excessive amounts of opioids, early refills, and potentially dangerous drug combinations. (Éric BARADAT / AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
CVS also allegedly filled prescriptions for controlled substances from “pill mill” prescribers who dispensed large numbers of prescriptions without a legitimate medical purpose, according to the DOJ.
Prosecutors further alleged that CVS pharmacists filled the prescriptions despite warning signs, or “red flags,” indicating a high probability that they were illegitimate.
Many of these prescriptions were ultimately billed to federal health care programs and reimbursed, the DOJ said.
The DOJ also alleged that CVS’s corporate performance measures, incentive compensation, and recruiting policies prioritized profits over patient safety and contributed to the violations.
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CVS reached a $315 million settlement with the Department of Justice over allegations of illegal distribution of controlled substances between 2013 and 2025. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Beyond the $315 million payment, CVS reached an agreement with the Drug Enforcement Administration requiring additional safeguards regarding controlled substances.
Under the terms of the agreement, CVS must establish a hotline for employees and the public to report suspected illegal dispensing, proactively monitor dispensing patterns at its pharmacies and implement procedures to evaluate prescribers suspected of illegally prescribing controlled substances.
CVS previously agreed to pay nearly $5 billion in 2022 to settle thousands of opioid-related claims brought by state, local and Native American tribal governments.
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FOX Business has contacted CVS for additional comment.
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