Walgreens Agrees to Pay $300 Million To Settle Claims That Its Retail Pharmacies Illegally Filled Unlawful Opioid Prescriptions

The retail pharmacy chain Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to as Walgreens) agreed to pay the United States federal government $300 million to settle claims that its pharmacy locations illegally filled invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances, and sought payment for many of those invalid prescriptions from federal health care programs. The settlement includes a provision that if the company is sold, merged, or transferred prior to fiscal year 2032, it will owe the United States an additional $50 million.

In the complaint filed on January 16, 2025, the Department of Justice alleged that . . .