# CVS to pay $315 million in opioid settlement

> The pharmacy chain agrees to resolve a Justice Department lawsuit alleging it unlawfully dispensed medically unnecessary opioids to boost profits.
- Title: CVS to pay $315 million in opioid settlement · Fastcompany
- Summary: The pharmacy chain agrees to resolve a Justice Department lawsuit alleging it unlawfully dispensed medically unnecessary opioids to boost profits. CVS agreed…
- Keywords: cvs, department of justice, opioid settlement, pharmacy, controlled substances, addiction crisis, pay, 315, million, opioid, settlement, Fastcompany
- Source: Fastcompany — https://fastcompany.com/91623051/justice-department-cvs-opioids
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: cvs, department of justice, opioid settlement, pharmacy, controlled substances, addiction crisis
## CVS agrees to massive settlement
CVS Pharmacy Inc. and subsidiaries will pay three hundred fifteen million dollars to resolve a Justice Department case alleging unlawful dispensing of medically unnecessary opioids.
## Lawsuit accused CVS of profit-driven prescribing
The Justice Department lawsuit, brought in two thousand twenty-four, accused the healthcare giant of prescribing massive amounts of opioids and controlled substances to fuel its own profits at the expense of public health and safety.

> to fuel its own profits at the expense of public health and safety
## Part of broader federal crackdown
The settlement is the latest effort by the federal government to hold accountable companies that officials have alleged helped fuel the United States addiction and overdose crisis.
## Justice Department targets pharmacy practices
Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said the settlement is a significant milestone in efforts to combat the opioid epidemic by cracking down on pharmacies who unlawfully fulfill prescriptions for controlled substances.

> cracking down on pharmacies who unlawfully fulfill prescriptions for controlled substances
## CVS denies wrongdoing in settlement
CVS said in a statement that it strongly disagreed with the claims made in the lawsuit and that the settlement admits no wrongdoing by the company.
## CVS highlights pharmacist training
The company said its pharmacists were trained in the safe and appropriate use of all medications and that it had implemented best-in-class programs to help them make the best decisions on behalf of patients.

> in the safe and appropriate use of all medications
## CVS challenged vague standards
The company said in two thousand twenty-four that pharmacists were being held to vague, undefined, and ever-changing standards of practice when it comes to filling prescription opioids.

> vague, undefined, and ever-changing standards of practice
## Key takeaway

CVS agreed to pay three hundred fifteen million dollars to settle a Justice Department lawsuit accusing it of unlawfully dispensing opioids, part of federal efforts to hold companies accountable for fueling the addiction crisis.