Walmart Settles Over Opioid Prescription Allegations

Walmart has reached a $50 million settlement concerning allegations that its pharmacies were unlawfully processing numerous prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances. This was confirmed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The initial complaint was filed towards the end of President Trump’s first term and later revised during President Biden’s administration. It accused Walmart of breaching the Controlled Substances Act.

“Today’s settlement demonstrates the department’s commitment to prioritizing the well-being of Americans,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward in a statement.

He emphasized that “Congress implemented laws to ensure accountability for companies dispensing controlled substances to safeguard the public.”

Woodward added, “This department will always vigorously enforce pharmacies’ responsibilities to adhere to those safety measures, making sure that potential profits do not come at the expense of worsening the opioid crisis in our country.”

The complaint indicated that Walmart had been filling invalid prescriptions, knowingly so, by its pharmacists and compliance team since June 2013.

Some pharmacists at Walmart reported the supposed illegal activities to the corporate compliance team, including filling out thousands of “refusal-to-fill” forms, according to the DOJ.

However, the DOJ remarked that “the compliance team placed other priorities above compliance with the CSA.”

In fact, one compliance director noted in an email that instead of examining the refusal-to-fill reports, the team felt that “driving sales and patient awareness was a far better use of our Market Directors and Market Manager’s time.”

Moreover, pharmacists allegedly filled invalid prescriptions from known “pill mill” doctors or those which raised red flags—like dangerous combinations of opioids and non-opioids, frequent refill requests for commonly abused drugs, or high dosages of opioids, per the DOJ.

With this settlement, Walmart will need to set up a hotline for employees and patients to report any suspected illegal dealings and also keep a watchful eye on pharmacy dispensing habits.

Walmart has yet to provide a response to inquiries regarding this matter.