US Major Pharmacies Ordered to Pay $650 Million in Opioid Addiction Crisis Settlement

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] Major U.S. pharmacy operators such as CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart have been ordered to pay large sums in damages related to the opioid addiction crisis.

According to Bloomberg News on the 17th (local time), Judge Dan Polster of the Northern District Federal Court of Ohio ruled that these companies failed to properly manage and supervise opioid prescriptions in two counties in Ohio, ordering them to pay a total of $650.6 million (approximately 856.2 billion KRW).

This money is expected to be used to help mitigate the damage and support the affected counties' response to the public health crisis caused by improper sales.

This ruling follows a jury decision last November that found the three companies contributed to the opioid addiction crisis in Lake County and Trumbull County, Ohio. In the United States, it is estimated that over 500,000 addicts have died over more than 20 years due to the opioid crisis, leading to numerous lawsuits.

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