Walmart has reached a nationwide settlement of $3.1 billion to resolve allegations that the company contributed to the opioid addiction crisis by failing to appropriately oversee the dispensing of opioids at its stores. The Idaho Attorney General’s Office says it will require significant improvements in how Walmart’s pharmacies handle opioids.
State attorneys general on the executive committee, attorneys representing local governments, and Walmart have agreed to this settlement. The sum of $3.1 billion is about 2% of Walmart’s quarterly revenue, officials say.
Scott Graf with the Idaho AG’s Office says the settlement, if approved by enough states and governmental entities in the next few weeks to meet the required threshold, would be divided by those entities.
The parties are optimistic that the settlement will gain support of the required 43 states by the end of December, allowing local governments to join the deal during the first quarter of 2023.
Last month, states confirmed that promising negotiations were also underway with Walgreens and CVS. The parties continue their efforts to achieve those agreements.
