CVS Agrees to $315 Million Federal Opioid Settlement

CVS Pharmacy and related entities have agreed to pay $315 million to resolve federal allegations that the company unlawfully dispensed opioid and other controlled-substance prescriptions and billed federal health programs for many of them, the Justice Department said Tuesday, October 13. The settlement resolves a government lawsuit alleging that CVS pharmacies filled prescriptions that lacked a legitimate medical purpose, including prescriptions from providers described as pill mills. The government also alleged that many of the prescriptions were reimbursed through programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. The allegations have not been established by the settlement. The Justice Department said the alleged conduct ran from October 17, 2013, through December 2, 2025. A complaint filed in December 2024 accused CVS of violating the Controlled Substances Act by dispensing invalid prescriptions and the False Claims Act by seeking federal reimbursement for many of them.