Walmart settles US government’s opioid lawsuit, which sought billions, for US$50 million
The settlement also calls for tighter oversight of pharmacists
Walmart has reached a settlement with the US government over accusations that the retail giant contributed to the opioid crisis by improperly dispensing opioid prescriptions from its pharmacies. The company agreed to pay US$50 million to resolve the lawsuit, reported on Aug 28 by the Department of Justice. Walmart's payment is significantly smaller than the billions in civil penalties that the Justice Department had initially threatened against the company if it lost the lawsuit, which began in December 2020.
The settlement demands stricter oversight of pharmacists in Walmart's pharmacies and the establishment of a hotline for reporting illegal opioid dispensing. Walmart did not admit to any wrongdoing, and the company described the settlement amount as "immaterial" in a regulatory filing. Net income for Walmart in the six months ending on Jul 31 was US$11.7 billion.
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