Walmart settles US government’s opioid lawsuit
Summary
Walmart has settled a lawsuit with the US government that accused the company of wrongly dispensing opioid prescriptions. The company did not admit fault and settled for an undisclosed, small amount, concluding one of the government's largest cases tied to the opioid crisis.Key Facts
- The US Department of Justice sued Walmart in 2020, accusing it of illegally giving out opioid prescriptions since 2013.
- Walmart agreed to settle the case recently, but the exact amount was not made public.
- Walmart said the settlement amount was “immaterial,” meaning it was not significant compared to its earnings.
- The Justice Department said Walmart pharmacies did not properly watch for and report suspicious opioid prescriptions as required by law.
- The lawsuit was part of a broader effort to hold companies accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic, which caused over 905,000 deaths in the US from 1999 to 2025.
- In 2022, Walmart paid $3.1 billion to settle many related state and local lawsuits about opioids.
- Similar settlements were made by other drug store companies like CVS and Walgreens.
- A judge narrowed the case in 2024, dismissing some claims but allowing others about invalid prescriptions to continue before the settlement.
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