Walmart has agreed to a $50 million settlement to resolve allegations that its pharmacies knowingly filled thousands of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The government complaint, initially filed during the Trump administration and amended under the Biden administration, accused Walmart of violating the Controlled Substances Act. Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward stated that the settlement demonstrates the department's commitment to prioritizing Americans' well-being and enforcing laws designed to protect the public from the opioid epidemic.
According to the DOJ, the complaint alleged that Walmart had been filling invalid prescriptions since June 2013, with the knowledge of its pharmacists and corporate compliance team. The DOJ noted that some Walmart pharmacists reported these alleged illegal activities to the company's compliance team, submitting thousands of "refusal-to-fill" forms. However, the DOJ asserted that the compliance team prioritized other objectives over compliance with the Controlled Substances Act.
The complaint further alleged that pharmacists knowingly filled prescriptions from "pill mill" prescribers or those exhibiting red flags. These included dangerous combinations of opioid and non-opioid drugs, frequent early refills of commonly abused substances, and high dosages of opioids.
As part of the settlement, Walmart has agreed to implement measures to prevent future violations. These include establishing a hotline for employees and patients to report suspected illegal activity and proactively monitoring pharmacy dispensing patterns. The retail giant did not immediately respond to requests for comment.