Walmart has agreed to a $50 million settlement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) over allegations that its pharmacies illegally dispensed thousands of prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances, violating the Controlled Substances Act.
The government complaint, originally filed at the end of President Donald Trump’s first term and amended during the administration of former President Joe Biden, alleges that Walmart prioritized corporate goals and sales over dispensing regulatory compliance.
“Today’s settlement proves this department is committed to putting Americans’ flourishing first,” Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward stated. “Congress enacted laws to promote responsibility and accountability for companies who dispense controlled substances to protect Americans. This department will never shy away from vigorously enforcing pharmacies’ obligations to comply with those protections, ensuring that potential profits never justify aiding our nation’s opioid epidemic.”
Walmart has agreed to pay a $50 million settlement over allegations its pharmacies were illegally filling thousands of prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances, according to the DOJ and DEA. (Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images, File / Getty Images)
The complaint alleges that Walmart continued filling invalid prescriptions with the knowledge of its pharmacists and compliance team since June 2013. Walmart pharmacists reportedly raised concerns about these prescriptions to the corporate compliance team via thousands of “refusal-to-fill” forms.
However, the DOJ asserts that the compliance team prioritized other business objectives over controlled substances compliance. In an internal email cited by the government, a compliance director allegedly noted that “driving sales and patient awareness” was a “far better use” of regional managers’ time than investigating safety reports.
Pharmacists allegedly knowingly filled invalid prescriptions from “pill mill” prescribers or prescriptions carrying serious red flags, such as dangerous opioid and nonopioid “cocktails,” early refill requests of frequently abused drugs, or high-dosages of opioids. Under the settlement, Walmart has agreed to establish a dedicated hotline for employees and patients to report suspected illegal activity, alongside implementing proactive systems to monitor pharmacy dispensing patterns.
The company did not immediately respond to external requests for comment. The settlement requires Walmart to take substantive steps to curb illegal prescribing, enforce strict compliance safeguards across its pharmacy networks, and protect public health during the ongoing opioid crisis.