Walgreen Co. will pay $80 million to settle federal civil charges that its pharmacies in Colorado and other states repeatedly violated the federal Controlled Substances Act in tracking and dispensing powerful pain pills.

Authorities said the civil settlement with the nation’s biggest pharmacy chain was the largest in the history of federal enforcement of the drug law to crack down on prescription-drug violations. Other major pharmacy companies and drug wholesalers have been targeted previously.

The allegations by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration focused on a large Walgreens distribution center in Jupiter, Fla., but also included retail pharmacies in Cañon City and Pueblo as well as others in Michigan and New York.

The settlement resolves an investigation by the office of U.S. Attorney for ColoradoJohn Walsh, among others.

“Stores that sell controlled substances must keep careful track of their inventory,” Walsh said. “Those that don’t, like Walgreens in this case, face severe penalties, like the record $80 million penalty announced today.” Read more here.