Kansas AG Derek Schmidt announced that his office has reached a settlement with Walmart that will resolve allegations that the company contributed to the opioid crisis by failing to appropriately oversee the dispensing of opioids at its stores.

 

Schmidt has secured at least $15 million for Kansas, but as details are finalized, the Kansas share is likely to increase, perhaps substantially. The settlement will provide more than $3 billion nationally and will require significant improvements in how Walmart’s pharmacies handle opioids, including robust oversight to prevent fraudulent prescriptions and flag suspicious prescriptions.

 

Additional national settlements have been reached with CVS Pharmacy for $5 billion and Walgreens Pharmacy for $3 billion. Terms for the state shares of the CVS and Walgreens settlements have not been finalized.

 

Under the Kansas Fights Addiction Act, proposed by Schmidt and enacted last year by the Kansas Legislature, money recovered by the attorney general pursuant to opioid litigation will be used to address substance abuse and help ensure addiction services are provided throughout the state.