(Recasts, adds details on settlement and comment from CVS)

By Nate Raymond

Oct 13 (Reuters) - CVS Health (CVS.N) has agreed to pay $315 million to resolve allegations that the pharmacy chain operator unlawfully filled medically unnecessary prescriptions for addictive opioid painkillers, the US Justice Department said on Tuesday.

The settlement resolves a case that the department announced in 2024 that sought to hold CVS responsible for its role in dispensing massive quantities of dangerous drugs like opioids that were at the heart of a nationwide addiction epidemic.

The lawsuit alleged that since October 2013, CVS illegally filled prescriptions for opioids and other narcotics in violation of the federal Controlled Substances Act and then sought payment from federal healthcare programs like Medicare in violation of the False Claims Act.

As part of the settlement, CVS entered into an agreement with the Drug Enforcement Administration under which it would establish processes to monitor and receive reports of potentially illegal dispensing in its pharmacies and evaluate doctors suspected of illegally prescribing opioids.

“Today’s settlement requires CVS to implement additional safeguards to ensure that prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances are dispensed only when medically appropriate,” Assistant US Attorney General Brett Shumate said in a statement.

CVS said in a statement it disagreed with the Justice Department’s allegations and was not admitting wrongdoing as part of the settlement.

“Our more than 27,000 CVS pharmacists do their part to help keep America healthy and are highly trained in the safe and appropriate use of all medications,” CVS said. “We’re pleased to move forward and put this litigation behind us.”