An Andover, Mass.-based pharmacy that has bought some of the nation's largest quantities of opioids agreed to pay $10 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the company of improperly dispensing drugs and submitting false claims.
The Injured Workers Pharmacy admitted to failing to address "red flag" prescriptions that included "high doses of opioids, early refills and dangerous drug combinations" for five years, the Justice Department said June 27. The business also admitted that, between 2017 and 2019, its employees submitted codes as "prescriber consulted" without consulting pharmacists or prescribers.
As part of the settlement, the pharmacy entered a five-year correction plan with the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to the Justice Department.
Some of the actions the company has taken:
- Developed more procedures to review high-risk prescribing and protocols to reduce lost mail-order drugs
- Removed production quotas for its staff
- Implemented a drug diversion team
- Launched diversion controls
- Added a new chief compliance officer and a pain management specialty pharmacist
- Stopped dispensing prescriptions through the Labor Department's workers' compensation program