CVS settles Indiana complaint over two pharmacists

Indianapolis CVS will pay $1.95 million and verify that all of its pharmacists are licensed in Indiana to settle a state complaint that pharmacists with expired licenses dispensed prescriptions for several years at two of its drug stores, according to the Associated Press.

Investigators with the agency's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit alleged CVS had at different times between 1997 and 2007 employed two pharmacists whose licenses had expired at stores in Nashville and Marion, the report said.

CVS has agreed to verify through state records that all its pharmacists have the proper licenses within 90 days of the agreement's approval, and to perform similar records checks every six months for three years.

CVS issued a statement confirming the agreement and said the two pharmacists were no longer employed with the company. CVS said there were no allegations any customers had been harmed.

"The agreement underscores that the health and safety of its customers is a top priority for CVS/pharmacy," CVS said.

The state alleged the two men together filled more than 60,000 prescriptions, and Medicaid was overbilled for fees to which they were not entitled.

As part of the agreement, CVS also must require pharmacist applicants to disclose any aliases and whether they are ineligible to hold a license, according to the Associated Press.