Wal-Mart Settles Drug Records Accusations

Bentonville, Ark. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has agreed to a $637,000 fine to settle allegations that it violated drug record-keeping regulations at its pharmacies in south Texas, according to the Associated Press.

Federal prosecutors said Wednesday that Wal-Mart paid the fine on Dec. 29 and that the settlement was made final on Tuesday.

Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Johnson said the case began with five Wal-Mart and Sam's Club pharmacies that allegedly didn't have records the government requires to help prevent diversion of controlled substances. Johnson said the problem with the records violated the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act, under which the complaint was brought. More Wal-Mart pharmacies in the region were then audited, he said.

"The accountability audits did not match the drugs on hand, revealing major overages and shortages in the accountability of controlled substances, and there were missing invoices for controlled substances all in violation of the CSA," Johnson's office said in a news release.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Daphne Moore said the settlement was limited to discrepancies between records and inventory involving a small number of pharmacies in Texas.