The DOJ has intervened in a False Claims Act qui tam action against Rite Aid Corporation over its controlled substances prescription practices, alleging violations of the Controlled Substances Act. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on March 13, 2023. The complaint includes allegations that Rite Aid’s pharmacists filled medically unnecessary prescriptions for controlled substances, including opioids; filled prescriptions that were suspicious; and refilled prescriptions early. The complaint further alleges Rite Aid’s Government Affairs Department failed to address red flags and directed employees to delete internal notes about suspicious prescribers in Rite Aid’s dispensing software.
The Insurance Journal also reports that, on March 30, a shareholder in Rite Aid filed a securities class action lawsuit against the company and against current and former executives, alleging Rite Aid had made misleading or false statements about risks based on its distribution of unlawful opioid prescriptions. This lawsuit also was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.