The Department of Justice (DOJ) has sued CVS Health, accusing the pharmaceutical giant of contributing to the opioid crisis by knowingly filling unlawful prescriptions to boost corporate performance metrics.

“The practices alleged contributed to the opioid crisis and opioid-related deaths, and today’s complaint seeks to hold CVS accountable for its misconduct,” Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division said in a statement.

In the civil complaint unsealed Wednesday, the government alleges that the company knowingly filled prescriptions for controlled substances that lacked a legitimate medical purpose from Oct. 17, 2023, to the present day.

Officials believe that low staffing levels amid a lack of information made pharmacists susceptible to faulty prescribers who issued fake prescriptions.