Walmart agrees to pay $50 million to settle a long-running lawsuit brought by the US Justice Department over allegations that its pharmacies unlawfully dispensed opioids. Multiple outlets report the settlement resolves claims tied to the retailer’s dispensing practices during the opioid epidemic.

The Justice Department sued Walmart in 2020, alleging violations of the Controlled Substances Act and stating that Walmart filled thousands of invalid or unlawful prescriptions. One account specifies the conduct allegedly began around June 2013, involving pharmacists and compliance teams.

Outlets broadly align on the settlement amount and the core claim—dispensing opioids through invalid prescriptions—but differ on emphasis. Some describe the resolution as avoiding a potentially much larger financial exposure, while others focus on the government’s allegations about fueling the opioid crisis. Al Jazeera and other reports note that the parties confirm the settlement without publicly disclosing all terms beyond the amount in many cases.