A West Virginia court ordered Walmart to turn over all documents related to its opioid dispensing practices to state and federal authorities, according to court documents.
Walmart has said that it cannot turn over the documents for its West Virginia case, which hospitals brought about to examine the company's opioid distribution practices and overall role in the opioid epidemic, because it is under investigation by the Department of Justice.
However, the Circuit Court of Kanawha County, W.Va., overruled all of Walmart's objections to disclose the information, ordering the company to provide the documentation by Nov. 23.
"As an initial matter, plaintiffs point out that although Walmart represents to this court that the DOJ’s criminal investigation into it is ongoing, Walmart has represented to at least one court that the investigation finished without an indictment issuing," the Oct. 20 decision reads. "Walmart’s inconsistent representations to this court and others concerning the status of the DOJ’s criminal investigation into it is concerning, to say the least."