Walmart offers to pay 3.1 billion dollars to settle opioid lawsuits

Walmart offers to pay 3.1 billion dollars to settle opioid lawsuits (Gene J Puskar/AP/PA)

Retail giant Walmart has become the latest major player in the drug industry to announce a plan to settle lawsuits filed by state and local governments over the toll of powerful prescription opioids sold at its pharmacies across the US.

The 3.1 billion dollar (£2.6 billion) proposal follows similar announcements earlier in November from the two largest US pharmacy chains, CVS Health and Walgreen Co, which each said they would pay about five billion dollars (£4.2 billion).