Attorney General Josh Kaul Announces $3.1 Billion Agreement with Walmart over Opioid Epidemic Allegations

MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul today announced that the executive coalition of states, attorneys representing local governments, and Walmart have reached an agreement to resolve allegations that Walmart contributed to the opioid addiction crisis by failing to appropriately oversee the dispensing of opioids at its stores. The agreement will provide more than $3 billion nationally and will require significant improvements in how Walmart’s pharmacies handle opioids. The agreement is now being sent to other states for review and approval.

“This agreement will support efforts to fight substance use disorder and require Walmart’s pharmacies to make changes that will help prevent this from ever happening again,” said Attorney General Kaul. “We will continue working to obtain recoveries from companies whose actions allegedly contributed to the opioid epidemic.”

The agreement will include:

• $3.1 billion to be divided by states that sign on, local governments, and tribes, which must be used to provide treatment and recovery services to people struggling with opioid use disorder.
• Broad, court-ordered requirements, including robust oversight to prevent fraudulent prescriptions and flag suspicious prescriptions.

The parties are optimistic that the agreement will gain support of the required 43 states by the end of 2022, allowing local governments to join the deal during the first quarter of 2023. Further details about how the money will be distributed will be forthcoming. Last month, states confirmed that promising negotiations were also underway with Walgreens and CVS. The parties continue their efforts to achieve those agreements.

Attorneys General from North Carolina, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Texas have served as the lead negotiators on this deal.

Find this press release here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.