<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/walmart/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Walmart</a> settled a lawsuit with the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/doj/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Justice Department</a> on Friday after facing accusations of unlawfully dispensing prescriptions from its pharmacies, contributing to a nationwide opioid epidemic.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">A joint stipulation dismissing the case was filed on Thursday in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware. This follows a lawsuit filed by the DOJ in 2020, alleging that Walmart violated the Controlled Substances Act since 2013 by filling thousands of invalid or suspicious prescriptions, which contributed to the opioid crisis that has resulted in over 1 million deaths in the U.S.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">A DOJ spokesperson stated, “The department is pleased to have reached a settlement with Walmart resolving allegations that its pharmacies failed to comply with their obligations under the Controlled Substances Act in dispensing opioids and other controlled substances.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Walmart responded by expressing its satisfaction with the resolution and reaffirming its commitment to supporting its pharmacists in providing patient care.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The lawsuit was one of the DOJ’s most significant civil actions against a company regarding its alleged role in the opioid crisis.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Critics have argued that the DOJ’s lawsuit unfairly targeted Walmart’s network of over 5,000 pharmacies for filling prescriptions rather than holding the prescribing doctors accountable. If found liable, Walmart could have faced penalties of $67,627 for each unlawful prescription filled and $15,691 for each suspicious order not reported to the Drug Enforcement Administration.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Walmart contended that confusing government regulations placed pharmacists in a difficult position, either filling prescriptions and risking liability or refusing them and facing backlash from patients and doctors.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Details regarding the specifics of Walmart’s settlement with the DOJ remain unclear as of Friday.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Prior to this agreement, Walmart had pledged in 2022 to pay approximately $3 billion over 15 years to settle numerous lawsuits with state, local, and tribal governments accusing it and other pharmacy chains of mishandling opioid prescriptions.</p>