Hawaii Attorney General Holly T. Shikada announced Wednesday that a settlement in principle was struck between Walmart and lead negotiators to resolve allegations that the company contributed to the opioid addiction crisis by failing to appropriately oversee the dispensing of opioids at its stores.
The proposed settlement would provide more than $3 billion nationally and require significant improvements in how Walmart’s pharmacies handle opioids.
Hawaii and its sister states are carefully reviewing the proposed settlement.
“Opioid addiction has taken a terrible toll on too many individuals and families resulting in loss of lives and years of heartache,” Shikada said in a statement. “Going forward, companies that profit from the sale of these prescription drugs must do so responsibly and contribute to the welfare of the community by providing resources to help those in need of opioid treatment and recovery services. This proposed settlement is part of the department’s continued efforts to help Hawaii’s communities recover from the opioid crisis.”
The proposed settlement includes $3.1 billion to be divided by states that sign on.
The money must be used to provide treatment and recovery services to people struggling with opioid use disorder.
The settlement also contains broad, court-ordered requirements, including robust oversight to prevent fraudulent prescriptions and flag suspicious prescriptions.
In the event the proposed settlement gains the support of the required 43 states by the end of 2022, local governments will be able to join the deal during the first quarter of 2023. Further details about how the money will be distributed will be forthcoming.
Attorneys general from North Carolina, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Texas served as the lead negotiators on this deal.