OptumRx to Pay $20 Million for Allegedly Improperly Filling Opioid Prescriptions
- June 28, 2024
OptumRx Inc., a prescription drug benefit provider, agreed to pay $20 million to resolve allegations that it filled certain opioid prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act, the Department of Justice announced June 27.
The settlement resolves an investigation initiated by the Drug Enforcement Administration into whether, between April 2013 and April 2015, OptumRx improperly filled certain opioid prescriptions in combination with other drugs such as benzodiazepines and muscle relaxants.
Such combination prescriptions, which OptumRx filled primarily from a mail order pharmacy location in Carlsbad, CA, raised “red flags” indicating that the prescriptions may not have been intended for legitimate medical use and could lead to abuse or diversion of highly addictive and powerful opioids, the government alleged.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.