CVS Health

Reasons to avoid

1. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against CVS in August 2023 alleging the pharmacy chain knowingly filled millions of unlawful prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances that had no legitimate medical purpose. Federal prosecutors found CVS filled prescriptions despite clear warning signs of abuse and diversion, including prescriptions written by providers under investigation and orders for dangerous drug combinations known as "cocktails."justice.gov2023-08-02
2. California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a $5 billion settlement with CVS in November 2022 over its role in the opioid crisis, accusing the pharmacy chain of filling prescriptions without verifying they served a legitimate medical purpose. The settlement required CVS to fund addiction treatment and prevention programs and was part of a broader national reckoning with pharmacy chains over their contribution to the epidemic.oag.ca.gov2022-11-02
3. The Ohio Board of Pharmacy settled 27 cases against 22 CVS pharmacies in March 2024, imposing $1.5 million in fines — the largest penalty in the board's history — after inspectors found prescriptions delayed by over a month, expired and adulterated medications on shelves, and the loss of opioids and other controlled drugs due to inadequate controls. CVS employees told the Ohio Capital Journal that understaffing was deliberate, with district managers ordering cuts to scheduled hours even when pharmacists were already overwhelmed.nbcnews.com2024-03-01
4. CVS agreed to pay $37.76 million in December 2025 to settle allegations that its pharmacies spent a decade over-dispensing insulin pens and billing Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal programs for refills patients did not need. Federal prosecutors said CVS management knew about the violations for years because pharmacy benefit managers repeatedly issued chargebacks for the same dispensing problems, yet CVS never took steps to fix them.fiercehealthcare.com2025-12-02
5. House Oversight Committee members launched a congressional investigation into CVS in September 2025 after the company sent a mass text message to thousands of Louisiana patients using their prescription data to lobby against a state bill that would have forced CVS to break up its pharmacy and pharmacy benefit manager businesses. Lawmakers found the HIPAA Privacy Rule does not allow the use of patient information for political advocacy without explicit patient authorization.healthcaredive.com2025-09-08