CVS to Pay $11 Million to Settle Claims for Violating Drug Laws

CVS Pharmacy has agreed to pay $11 million, in order to settle civil charges for violating the Controlled Substances Act at pharmacies in Oklahoma, according to USA Today.

The Justice Department announced the company violated the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) record-keeping requirements for tracking prescriptions, including painkillers such as hydrocodone and oxycodone. Federal prosecutors said CVS pharmacies in Oklahoma created fake DEA license numbers on dispensing records, filled prescriptions for physicians without valid controlled substance licenses, and improperly labeled prescription vials.

CVS did not admit liability as part of the settlement. The agreement “allows the parties to avoid the delay, expense, inconvenience, and uncertainty involved in litigating the case,” according to the Justice Department.

“Abuse of prescription drugs is one of the most critical issues we face today. The scope of this problem is alarming,” Daniel R. Salter, DEA acting special agent in charge of the Dallas Field Division, said in a news release. “This settlement reinforces the responsibilities of all pharmacies to prevent the diversion of dangerous drugs.”

Last year, the DEA revoked the licenses to dispense controlled substances for two CVS pharmacies in Florida, after accusing them of dispensing excessive amounts of oxycodone.