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 Justice Department has filed a civil lawsuit against Walgreens, accusing the 124-year-old pharmacy chain of dispensing millions of unlawful prescriptions over a period of several years.

The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit accusing Walgreens of filling millions of prescriptions for Americans over the last decade and more without a legitimate purpose, including for dangerous amounts of opioids.

If found liable, Walgreens, which is one of the country's largest pharmacy chains with over 8,000 pharmacies across the U.S., could face civil penalties of up to $80,850 for each unlawful prescription, the Justice Department said in a statement.

The Justice Department has filed a civil complaint against Walgreens which operates more than 8,000 pharmacies throughout the United States alleging that they