Georgia Awarded $28M In National Walmart Opioid Lawsuit: AG

ATLANTA, GA — Georgia is one of several states named in a $3.1-billion dollar settlement against Walmart after national justice officials sued the retail giant Dec. 22, 2020, amidst claims of unlawful fillings of controlled substance prescriptions.

The U.S. Department of Justice also claimed Walmart failed to report hundreds of thousands of suspicious orders to the Drug Enforcement Administration in 2018.

Walmart Inc. announced Tuesday it has passed the first step in the lawsuit by reaching an agreement with all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and three other U.S. territories, according to a news release. Walmart said only 43 states had to join the settlement by Dec. 15.

Attorney General Chris Carr said Monday Georgia was a not a defendant in the case but state officials accepted an offer from Walmart once it was presented to them. Georgia could receive a base payment of $28 million in the settlement, which will benefit critical treatment and recovery services for people battling opioid use disorder.

The DOJ claimed Walmart had hundreds of thousands of violations against the Controlled Substances Act by improperly filling controlled substance prescriptions that were not for legitimate medical uses and claimed the company contributed to the opioid crisis.

The company was facing civil penalties of up to $67,627 for each unlawful prescription filled and $15,691 for each suspicious order not reported, the DOJ said.

"Walmart believes these settlements are in the best interest of all parties and will provide significant aid to communities across the country in the fight against the opioid crisis, with aid reaching state and local governments faster than any other nationwide opioid settlement to date, subject to satisfying all settlement requirements," Walmart said in a news release.

"Walmart strongly disputes the allegations in these matters, and these settlements do not include any admission of liability. Walmart will continue to vigorously defend the company against any lawsuit not resolved through these settlements. Walmart is helping fight the opioid crisis and is proud of its pharmacists, who help patients understand the risks about opioid prescriptions. The company has adopted many approaches to fighting the opioid crisis as part of its industry-leading Opioid Stewardship program.