CVS, Walgreens, Walmart Evade $650 Million Ohio Opioid Judgment

The Sixth Circuit on Friday wiped out a $650 million judgment and corresponding injunction against CVS Pharmacy Inc., Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., and Walmart Inc. after the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that state law prohibits the specific claims the pharmacy megachains faced for the opioid epidemic.

The two-page order from the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit vacated the 2022 judgment imposed by a Cleveland federal judge in favor of Lake and Trumbull counties, which claimed the companies’ actions fueled their problems with prescription painkillers. The three-judge panel sent the case back to the US District ...