On Oct. 13, CVS Pharmacy Inc. and its related corporate entities reached a $315 million settlement with the U.S. government for failing to implement compliance safeguards designed to prevent the illegal dispensing of controlled substances. The opioid-related settlement offers broader lessons for compliance and in-house counsel teams at U.S. retail pharmacy chains.
The settlement resolves allegations in the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) complaint that, from October 2013 to December 2025, CVS dispensed “dangerous and excessive” quantities of opioids, filled opioid prescriptions too early, and dispensed so-called “trinity” prescriptions, which are a “dangerous and abused combination of an opioid, a benzodiazepine, and a muscle relaxant.” Such conduct violated the Controlled Substances Act.
