Walgreens will pay $300 million in a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice. The lawsuit, which stems from the settlement, accused the pharmacy giant of illegally filling millions of prescriptions for painkillers and other potent drugs.
What are the details of the settlement?
The DOJ announced the settlement on Monday, April 21. The payout will include 4% interest each year paid over six years.
Walgreens would owe an additional $50 million if the company is sold, transferred or merged before fiscal year 2032, DOJ officials said.
In response, Walgreens spokesperson Fraser Engerman denied any wrongdoing on the company’s behalf.
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“We strongly disagree with the government’s legal theory and admit no liability,” Engerman said in a statement according to Reuters. “Our pharmacists are dedicated healthcare professionals who care deeply about patient safety and continue to play a critical role in providing education and resources to help combat opioid misuse and abuse across our country.”
DOJ accuses Walgreens of unlawfully filling prescriptions
The DOJ’s lawsuit, filed in January 2025, said Walgreens neglected “red flags” that showed prescriptions were unlawful and filled them anyway. The federal government’s prosecutors accused Walgreens of violating the Controlled Substances Act and False Claims Act, which seeks reimbursement from federal health programs such as Medicare.
Walgreens and other drug companies paid roughly $50 billion over the years to settle lawsuits and probes that accused them of playing a key role in the United States’ opioid addiction crisis, Reuters wrote. From 1999 to 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated almost 727,000 people died from opioid overdoses in the United States.
