Walmart has settled with the US Department of Justice to resolve a lawsuit accusing the retail giant of unlawfully filling painkiller prescriptions, fueling the opioid epidemic. The justice department confirmed the settlement, though terms were not immediately disclosed, and court filings show the federal government agreed to dismiss the case.

A DoJ spokesperson said, “We will continue to hold accountable companies and individuals whose unlawful prescribing, marketing, dispensing or distributing practices contributed to the opioid crisis.” Walmart responded, “We are pleased to resolve this matter and will continue supporting the exceptional work our pharmacists do every day.”

The US government sued Walmart in December 2020, alleging it filled invalid prescriptions and failed to report suspicious opioid orders. The suit followed a multiyear investigation and claimed Walmart managers made it “exceedingly difficult” for pharmacists to comply with legal requirements.

Walmart had preemptively sued the DoJ and the US Drug Enforcement Agency in October 2020, arguing pharmacists were in an impossible bind. The retailer noted it had blocked “thousands of questionable doctors.” In 2022, Walmart agreed to pay $3.1bn to settle state claims. Drug overdose deaths rose 520 per cent from 1999 to 2023 before declining.