DOJ slaps $20M opioid prescription penalty on OptumRx
02 Jul 2024
Patent Infringement
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Source: FierceHealthcare
Optum has since closed its mail order pharmacy in Carlsbad, California, the site location where improper prescriptions were filled.
The agency claims OptumRx did not fill prescriptions correctly for "trinity prescriptions" like benzodiazepines and other muscle relaxants from April 2013 to April 2015. These prescriptions, which are addictive, may not have been “intended for legitimate medical use” and carry “significant risk of harm,” according to a news release.
“Pharmacies providing opioids and other controlled substances have a duty under the Controlled Substances Act to ensure that they fill prescriptions only for legitimate medical purposes,” said Principal Deputy Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, in a statement. “The department will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to ensure that pharmacies do not contribute to the opioid addiction crisis.”
Optum has since closed its mail order pharmacy in Carlsbad, California, the site location where improper prescriptions were filled. The company said it has beefed up its protocols to limit the number of improperly filled prescriptions and has implemented a stronger drug utilization review.
“Pharmacies are the last line of defense protecting the public from potentially dangerous and addictive medications,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath for the Southern District of California. “Combating the opioid crisis on all fronts includes holding pharmacies accountable if they shirk any part of the responsibilities required in filling prescriptions for potentially harmful drugs.”
Optum did not admit guilt as part of the settlement.
Last month, Arkansas filed a lawsuit against Optum and Express Scripts for the pharmacy benefit managers’ role in the opioid epidemic.
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