American supermarket chain Walmart has agreed to pay $3.1 billion to solve the allegations that he contributed to the national opioid crisisthe New York attorney’s office and the company announced Tuesday.
The funds will go to communities across the country and to the agreement.”will require significant improvements in the way Walmart pharmacies handle opioids,” New York Attorney General Letitia James added in a statement.
Walmart said in a statement it was “vigorously disputing” allegations in state and local government lawsuits that its pharmacies improperly filled prescriptions for potent painkillers.
The agreement does not provide for the company to admit its responsibility for what happened.
Like the CVS and Walgreens drug chains, which settled in early November pay each 5,000 million dollars In similar settlements, Walmart is accused of mass distribution of opioid painkillers without warning of the high number of prescriptions.
That deal gave Walmart an average of quarterly net loss of $1.8 billionalthough the business has held up well and the group has raised its forecasts.
The retail chain now expects its billing to increase 5.5% for its fiscal year, which ends at the end of January, up from a previous projection of 4.5%.
The opioid crisis in the United States
The opioid crisis, which has led to more than 500,000 dead in 20 years nationwide, it has led to numerous lawsuits against drug manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies by victims, as well as affected cities, counties, and states.
In this health disaster, painkiller manufacturers are accused of having it it has caused the addiction of many consumers and prompted doctors to overprescribe their products, despite being aware of the risks of addiction.
Indeed, for many people, opioid addiction began with the prescription of painkillers which later opened the door to illicit drugs such as heroin and fentanyl, an extremely potent synthetic opioid.
90,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2020three quarters from opioids.
Source: AFP
Source: Clarin
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.