The U.S. Justice Department is accusing Walgreens of filling millions of prescriptions in the last decade and more without a legitimate purpose, including for dangerous amounts of opioids, according to a lawsuit filed this week.

The U.S. Justice Department on Friday accused pharmacy chain operator Walgreens Boots Alliance of contributing to the U.S. opioid epidemic by filling millions of unlawful prescriptions for addictive painkillers and other drugs.

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on Friday alleging Walgreens knowingly filled millions of unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances.

A West Side Walgreens at 2340 W. Madison St. Pat Nabong/Sun-Times file Share The U.S. Department of Justice has sued Deerfield-based Walgreens, saying the drugstore chain’s pharmacists filled “unlawful” prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances that helped fuel the country’s prescription painkiller crisis.