JHVEPhoto OptumRx, the pharmacy benefit manager owned by UnitedHealth Group ( NYSE: UNH ), will pay $20M as part of a settlement with the Department of Justice over improperly filing some opioid prescriptions. A DEA investigation found that between April 2013 and April 2015, OptumRx filled opioid prescription orders along with scripts for benzodiazepines and muscle relaxants, a combination known as "trinity" prescriptions because of likelihood of abuse. The agency noted that most of the prescriptions came from the same mail-order pharmacy and raised red flags.
However, the DEA alleges that many of those orders were filled without resolving the red flags. More on UnitedHealth UnitedHealth Group: Uncertainties Through 2025 Reiterate Buy Opportunity I'm Sticking To My Call: UnitedHealth Is Among The Best Dividend Growers UnitedHealth Group: Don't Miss Out On This Dividend Growth Beast UnitedHealth and Cigna PBMs face Arkansas lawsuit over role in opioid crisis UnitedHealth contacting customers impacted by cyberattack in July.
