CVS, Walmart, and Walgreens have tentatively agreed to pay billions to settle lawsuits accusing the chains of mishandling opioid painkillers, according to a report. The proposed settlement is believed to involve CVS paying $5 billion over 10 years, Walgreens paying $5.7 billion over 15 years, and Walmart paying $3.1 billion, mostly up-front, Reuters reports. The total payout of around $13.8 billion would follow opioid settlements from drugmakers and distributors of about $33 billion. Over 3,300 lawsuits filed by state and local governments since 2017 accused drug manufacturers of downplaying the dangers of their pain pills, with distributors and pharmacies allegedly ignoring warning signs that prescription drugs were being diverted into the black market.
