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CINCINNATI — The Kroger Co. said that it will settle its opioids lawsuit in West Virginia by paying $68 million. The supermarket chain was accused of contributing to the oversupply of the said drugs that are legally available with a prescription.
Patrick Morrisey, the West Virginia Attorney General, confirmed on Thursday, May 3, that Kroger has settled the lawsuit. The retailer is the last defendant in the case, which also involves other major drug stores in the United States, including Rite Aid, Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart.
Morrisey said the settlement with Kroger resolves the lawsuit that “alleged the pharmacy chain failed to maintain effective controls as a distributor and dispenser against diversion that contributed to oversupply of opioids in the state.”
“Although the hundreds of millions of dollars we secured from these companies will not bring back the lives lost from the opioid menace, our hope is that the money would provide significant help to those affected the most by this crisis in the state,” the attorney general said in a statement.
Kroger’s spokesman also commented that while the company “continues to believe that the allegations made against Kroger in this and other opioid lawsuits are without merit, we have decided that a settlement is the best path forward to resolve this litigation.”
