Walmart to pay $50 million to settle opioid prescription allegations

Walmart has agreed to pay $50 million to settle federal allegations that its pharmacies filled thousands of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances. The settlement resolves a case brought by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration that dates back to 2020.

The government alleged that from June 2013 onward, Walmart's corporate compliance team and pharmacists knowingly filled prescriptions from doctors operating as “pill mills.” According to the DOJ, despite pharmacists submitting “refusal to fill” forms and flagging suspicious activity—such as dangerous drug combinations and early refill requests—the company failed to act appropriately. In one instance, an internal email from a compliance director suggested that prioritizing sales was a better use of time than reviewing these warnings.

The settlement does not include a determination of liability for Walmart. However, the agreement requires the retailer to implement new monitoring and reporting safeguards to prevent the unlawful dispensing of controlled substances. Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward stated that the settlement demonstrates a commitment to holding companies accountable regardless of profit motives.