WASHINGTON (AP) – Walmart has agreed to pay $3.1 billion to settle lawsuits nationwide over the impact of the prescriptions its pharmacies filled for powerful opioid painkillers.
The deal would still need to be approved by 43 states to take effect.
It follows a similar announcement from pharmacy chains CVS Health and Walgreen Co. They each said they would pay about $5 billion over time to settle suits they face.
The opioid crisis in the U.S. has been linked to more than 500,000 deaths over the past two decades.
Major drugmakers and distributors have already announced, and in some cases, finalized settlements.
By Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press