Rite Aid and 10 subsidiaries have agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle allegations of illegal prescription violating the Controlled Substance Act and False Claims Act.
From May 2014 to June 2019, Rite Aid allegedly knowingly dispensed at least hundreds of thousands of unlawful controlled substance prescriptions without a legitimate medical purpose or were not valid prescriptions, according to a July 11 news release.
Many of these prescriptions included dangerous combinations of opioids, such as oxycodone and fentanyl, according to the release. Rite Aid also allegedly ignored evidence that its stores were dispensing these prescriptions, including concerns raised by pharmacists, and intentionally deleted internal notes about suspicious prescriptions.
Additionally, the federal government will have an allowed claim of $401.8 million in Rite Aid’s pending bankruptcy case.
Rite Aid has entered into agreements with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services to address its obligations going forward, including a memorandum of agreement to increase communication between the company, its retailers and DEA.