Walgreens Settles Suit Brought by Prosecutors in Riverside and 2 Other Counties

Photo courtesy of Walgreens

By City News Service

Prosecutors in three counties, including Riverside, reached a $502,200 settlement Monday in a consumer protection lawsuit alleging that Walgreens pharmacists throughout California didn’t make patient consultations a routine practice.

Riverside, Alameda and San Diego counties, as well as the state Board of Pharmacy, took the Deerfield, Illinois, pharmacy chain to court following an investigation initiated in 2011.

According to a civil complaint filed in San Diego County Superior Court, investigators uncovered instances in which Walgreens pharmacists failed to comply with state requirements that customers receiving new prescriptions or increased dosages of an existing prescription receive one-on-one consultations with a pharmacist -- or at least be offered that option.

According to the pharmacy board, consultations help minimize the risks of misusing a medication and potentially endangering a patient’s health. Uninformed or improper use of prescription drugs harms an estimated 150,000 Californians each year and contributes to an estimated $1.7 billion in economic losses throughout the state, officials said.

Walgreens, which owns and operates 620 in-store pharmacies in California, will pay each county $141,000 in civil penalties and an additional $79,200 to cover investigative expenses under the terms of the settlement.

The company will also be subject to an injunction requiring full compliance with California standards for patient consultations, and must fully implement an internal compliance program.

Monday’s enforcement action is the third of several anticipated in the statewide effort targeting pharmacies’ compliance programs. In December 2013, an injunction and $658,500 settlement was reached with CVS Pharmacies, while six months later, an injunction and $498,250 settlement was signed with Rite Aid.