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Albertsons Fined $900M for Opioid Crisis Role
5 Nov
Summary
- Albertsons must pay Washington $900 million for its role in the opioid crisis.
- A judge found the company failed to prevent misuse of painkillers in its pharmacies.
- The state argued Albertsons prioritized profits over safety by filling flagged prescriptions.
A state court judge has ordered Albertsons to pay Washington $900 million for its contribution to the opioid crisis. King County Superior Court Judge Janet Helson ruled that the grocery retailer's pharmacies failed to prevent the misuse of addictive painkillers.
The lawsuit, filed in 2022, alleged that Albertsons pharmacies unlawfully filled over 6.5 million prescriptions with "red flags" between 2006 and 2022. The state contended that the company prioritized profits over safety, leading to significant harm.
Albertsons operates 200 pharmacies in Washington, many under the Safeway brand. The company denied wrongdoing, asserting that its pharmacists dispensed legally prescribed medications and were not obligated to question doctor's orders without clear suspicion of illegitimacy.
This ruling comes amidst a broader wave of lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies, distributors, and pharmacies concerning the deadly opioid addiction epidemic that has affected the United States. Nationwide settlements for these cases now total approximately $58 billion, with Albertsons previously announcing a $774 million settlement for most other cases.
