Dec 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice on

Wednesday announced a lawsuit accusing CVS of filling

and billing federal health insurance programs for illegal opioid

prescriptions.

The newly unsealed complaint alleges that the illegal

conduct was driven by company-mandated performance metrics, and

that in some cases patients died of overdoses shortly after

filling illegal prescriptions.

(Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York)