In a civil lawsuit in US District Court in Delaware, the government said Walmart failed to take its gatekeeping duties as a pharmacy seriously, allegations the company rejected. Walmart created a system that turned its 5,000 in-store pharmacies into a supplier of highly addictive painkillers, dating as early as June 2013, the lawsuit said. Acting DEA Administrator Timothy Shea said in a statement "when pharmacies routinely fill illegitimate prescriptions, we will hold accountable anyone responsible, including Walmart. According to the lawsuit, Walmart "unlawfully filled thousands upon thousands of invalid controlled-substance prescriptions." In October, Walmart filed a lawsuit in Texas against the federal government seeking clarity on the roles and legal responsibilities of pharmacists and pharmacies in filling opioid prescriptions.

Source: bd News24 December 22, 2020 21:56 UTC