West Virginia wins another battle with Big Pharma

West Virginia notched another win in holding drug distributors accountable for the opioid epidemic.

Walmart and CVS agreed to pay $147 million to the Mountain State for their roles in the epidemic, the Attorney General’s office announced.

Walmart agreed to a settlement of $65 million while CVS is set to pay $82.5 million.

The decision resolves lawsuits alleging the pharmacies failed to maintain adequate controls as distributors and dispensers, contributing to the oversupply of opioids in the state, leading to thousands of deaths.

It’s just the latest announcement of reconciliation for communities impacted by the epidemic, and AG Patrick Morrissey sums it up nicely.

“These settlements won’t bring back the lives lost from the opioid epidemic, but these and other settlements will hopefully provide significant help to those affected the most by this crisis in our state,” Morrisey said.

Recently, the Attorney General announced a settlement with Rite Aid for up to $30 million to resolve similar litigation.

It’s gut-wrenching to think about how bad the epidemic has been in West Virginia. We all know someone affected by it, but this news proves that Big Pharma is still being held accountable.

Make sure to signup for our Mountaineer Media takeover at Fife Street Brewing and get pre-registered for the Almost Heaven Classic!