Kroger Agrees to $110 Million Settlement for Role in Kentucky Opioid Crisis

Kroger will pay $110 million to Kentucky to settle allegations of contributing to the opioid crisis through excessive painkiller distribution from its pharmacies.

Kroger has agreed to pay $110 million to resolve a lawsuit filed by the state of Kentucky.

The lawsuit accused the grocery giant’s pharmacies of playing a significant role in the opioid crisis by distributing large amounts of addictive pain medication throughout local communities.

Kentucky’s Allegations Against Kroger

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman announced the settlement, noting that the state opted out of a larger $1.4 billion settlement last year.

That agreement addressed similar concerns from 30 other states, as well as various counties, municipalities, and Native American tribes.

In February, Coleman took legal action in state court, alleging that Kroger’s pharmacies dispensed more than 11% of the opioid prescriptions in Kentucky between 2006 and 2019.

This staggering figure amounts to approximately 444 million pills.

The lawsuit argued that Kroger should have recognized the excessive distribution and noted other red flags suggesting that these drugs were being misused.

The state maintained that the company failed to take appropriate action to investigate suspicious orders or reject questionable prescriptions.

Continued Distribution Amid Concerns

Additionally, the lawsuit claimed that despite witnessing concerning patterns, Kroger continued to ship substantial quantities of opioids to Kentucky.

It also asserted that the company did not report suspicious orders to the relevant authorities and kept prescriptions flowing at an alarmingly high rate, exacerbating a serious addiction crisis in the state.

During a press conference, Coleman expressed disappointment that a well-known grocery retailer would contribute to Kentucky’s addiction epidemic, causing considerable suffering and disruption in the community.

Settlement and Broader Implications

Following the settlement announcement, Kroger commented that it hopes this financial contribution will aid efforts to combat opioid misuse across Kentucky.

Despite the allegations, the grocery chain continues to deny any wrongdoing, labeling claims of insufficient training or preventive measures regarding opioid prescriptions as baseless.

The settlement amount exceeds what Kentucky would have received if it participated in the previous collective settlement, which was projected to be around $66.6 million.

On a broader scale, the pharmaceutical sector, including manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacy operators, has committed to pay about $50 billion to settle lawsuits and investigations linked to the opioid crisis.

Statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that nearly 727,000 people in the United States died from opioid overdoses between 1999 and 2022, highlighting the grave impact of this issue.

Source: Claimsjournal.com