The Justice Department is suing Walmart, claiming that the retail giant unlawfully dispensed controlled substance through its pharmacies, which helped fueled the opioid crisis in America.
The Associated Press reported Tuesday that the civil complaint points to the role that Walmart’s pharmacies played in the crisis. The company operates more than 5,000 pharmacies around the U.S.
This comes two months after Walmart filed its own preemptive suit against the Justice Department, Attorney General William Barr, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
In that suit, Walmart said the federal investigation into the matter, which launched in 2016 – identified hundreds of doctors who wrote problematic prescriptions. Of those doctors, approximately 70% still have active registrations with the DEA.
For its part, Walmart says the federal government failed to regulate opioids.
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