CVS同意支付3.15亿美元和解联邦指控 涉十余年违规配发阿片类药物
美国司法部10月13日宣布，CVS药房公司（CVS Pharmacy, Inc.）同意支付3.15亿美元，就联邦政府指控其在十余年间非法配发阿片类药物等受控物质、并据此向联邦医疗计划提交虚假报销一案达成和解。
司法部称，和解涵盖2013年10月17日至2025年12月2日期间的行为。政府指控，CVS旗下药房违规配发阿片类药物，包括照着所谓“处方工厂”（pill mills）开出的高剂量处方配药，违反《受控物质法》（CSA）要求药剂师在配发受控物质前核实处方出于合法医疗目的等规定；政府同时指控，CVS据此向联邦医疗计划提交的报销构成《虚假申报法》（FCA）下的虚假申报。
副司法部长斯坦利·E·伍德沃德（Stanley E. Woodward Jr.）说：“非法配发受控物质助长了阿片类药物泛滥，在全美各地造成毁灭性后果。我们将继续追究那些被指控非法配发这些药物者的责任。”民事司助理司法部长布雷特·A·舒马特（Brett A. Shumate）说：“本案表明我们致力于执行《虚假申报法》，追究那些被指控向政府计划提交不合格药品报销者的责任。”
司法部表示，和解所解决的仅为指控，并无责任认定。和解协议包含旨在防止未来违规的主动监测等保障措施，CVS并同意与美国缉毒局（DEA）签署谅解备忘录，以加强对其药房受控物质合规的监督。CVS在2024年12月政府提起诉讼时曾表示，对相关指控“强烈不同意”。
本案由联邦政府于2024年12月13日在罗得岛州联邦地区法院提起，罗得岛是CVS总部所在地。案件由司法部民事司与罗得岛联邦检察官办公室共同办理，缉毒局、卫生与公众服务部督察长办公室及国防刑事调查局参与调查。（据美国司法部新闻稿）
CVS Agrees to Pay $315 Million to Settle Federal Allegations Over Unlawful Opioid Dispensing
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on October 13 that CVS Pharmacy, Inc. has agreed to pay $315 million to resolve federal allegations that, over more than a decade, it unlawfully dispensed opioids and other controlled substances and submitted false claims for reimbursement to federal health care programs.
The settlement covers conduct from October 17, 2013, through December 2, 2025, the department said. The government alleged that CVS pharmacies unlawfully dispensed opioids, including high-dose prescriptions issued by so-called “pill mills,” in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), which requires pharmacists to verify that a prescription serves a legitimate medical purpose before dispensing; it also alleged that CVS's resulting reimbursement claims violated the False Claims Act (FCA).
“The unlawful distribution of controlled substances has fueled the opioid epidemic and wreaked havoc across the country. We will continue to hold accountable those accused of illegally distributing these drugs,” said Deputy Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “This case demonstrates our commitment to enforcing the False Claims Act and holding accountable those accused of submitting claims for ineligible drugs to government programs,” said Brett A. Shumate, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division.
The Justice Department said the settlement resolves allegations only and that there has been no determination of liability. The agreement includes proactive monitoring and other safeguards intended to prevent future violations, and CVS has agreed to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to strengthen oversight of controlled-substance compliance at its pharmacies. When the government filed suit in December 2024, CVS said it “strongly disagreed” with the allegations.
The government filed the case on December 13, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, where CVS is headquartered. The matter was handled by the Justice Department's Civil Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Rhode Island, with the DEA, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service participating in the investigation. (Based on the U.S. Department of Justice press release)
图片来源：加州纳帕一家CVS药房门店。Missvain 摄，CC BY 4.0，维基共享资源
