Walgreens drug store chain, which has a location in Napa, agreed to pay an $80 million settlement over improperly distributing pain killers like oxycodone to be diverted for illegal black market sales, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced Tuesday.
The settlement is the largest in the DEA's history, according to the DEA.
Walgreens in Florida allegedly allowed prescription pain killers like oxycodone to enter the black market.
The settlement covers allegations against Walgreen's distribution center in Jupiter, Florida, as well as six Walgreens pharmacies, according to the DEA.
"First, the Jupiter Distribution Center failed to comply with DEA regulations that required it to report to the DEA suspicious prescription drug orders that it received from Walgreens’ retail pharmacies," according to a DEA release. "Walgreens’ alleged failure to sufficiently report suspicious orders was a systematic practice that resulted in at least tens of thousands of violations and allowed Walgreens’ retail pharmacies to order and receive at least three times the Florida average for drugs such as oxycodone."
The six pharmacies in Florida that received the suspicious drug shipments from Walgreens' distribution center, "filled customer prescriptions that they knew or should have known were not for legitimate medical use."
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In addition to the settlement, Walgreens will not distribute certain controlled substances for two years. The company also plans to increase its training and compliance programs.
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