A lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court, Ohio Northern, by several parties, including the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Virginia, against Rite Aid Corporation and several other entities, as well as Thrifty Payless Inc., Thrifty Corporation, Eckerd Corporation, Maxi Drug North, Inc., Maxi Drug South, L.P., Maxi Drug, Inc., Genovese Drug Stores, Inc., Apex Drug Stores, Inc., Perry Drug Stores, Inc., Brooks Pharmacy, Inc., and Rite Aid Headquarters Corporation. The lawsuit alleges violations of the False Claims Act and state law counterparts related to the defendants' dispensing of inappropriate or medically unnecessary prescriptions of controlled substances, particularly opioids. The plaintiffs claim that Rite Aid pressured pharmacists to fill questionable opioid prescriptions to meet profitability goals, failed to implement rigorous dispensing protocols, and turned a blind eye to the opioid crisis. The lawsuit provides specific examples of unlawful dispensing conduct in California, Idaho, and Massachusetts. The plaintiffs seek damages and penalties for the defendants' alleged fraudulent conduct, which fueled and profited from the opioid epidemic by repeatedly dispensing highly addictive opioids without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional medical practice, resulting in injury to government programs and individuals.