Walmart has agreed to a $3.1 billion settlement that resolves allegations from several state attorneys general that the company failed to regulate opioid prescriptions contributing to the nation’s opioid crisis.
The settlement, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office, which joined a coalition of attorneys general in the negotiation, “will also include broad, court-ordered requirements that Walmart must comply with, such as strong oversight for prevent fraudulent prescriptions and flag suspicious prescriptions’.
Walmart said in a statement that it “believes the settlement framework is in the best interests of all parties and will provide significant assistance to communities across the country in combating the opioid crisis by helping reach state and local governments more quickly.” than any other national opioid settlement to date, provided that all settlement requirements are met.”
However, Walmart said it “strongly disputes the allegations in these matters,” noting that the settlement framework does not include any admission of liability.
The framework will resolve substantially all opioid lawsuits and potential lawsuits by state, local and tribal governments against Walmart, provided all terms of the settlement are met.
Under the deal, New York state will receive up to $116 million. The settlement is still pending approval from other states, but James’ office believes they will give their blessing to the deal by the end of the year.
“Attorney General James and her colleagues are optimistic that the settlement will win the support of the required 43 states by the end of 2022, allowing local governments to join the agreement in the first quarter of 2023,” the statement said.
Attorneys General from New York, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and of Texas helped negotiate this deal.
“Promising negotiations” are still underway with other pharmacies, including Walgreens and CVS, James’ office said.
News of the multi-state settlement comes after the New York Attorney General’s office announced it had secured $523 million from Teva Pharmaceuticals and its affiliates for its role in the opioid crisis, effectively marking the end of the state’s lawsuit against manufacturers and opioid distributors that are not currently in bankruptcy proceedings.
