Home / Crime and Justice / Albertsons Trial: Opioid Crisis Blamed on Pharmacy
Albertsons Trial: Opioid Crisis Blamed on Pharmacy
13 Jul
Summary
- Albertsons faces trial for allegedly fueling Washington's opioid crisis.
- The state claims the company dispensed over 641 million opioid pills.
- The trial will argue Albertsons prioritized profits over public safety.
Washington State began a trial on Monday, July 13, against Albertsons Company, alleging the pharmacy chain significantly contributed to the state's opioid crisis. The Attorney General's office contends that Albertsons failed in its responsibility to prevent opioid misuse, dispensing more than 641 million opioid pills in Washington between 2006 and 2022. Many of these dispensed pills reportedly had unaddressed red flags indicating potential misuse.
The state's case will argue that Albertsons' corporate policies prioritized profits over patient and customer safety, allegedly discouraging pharmacists from identifying overprescribing doctors or suspicious prescriptions. This negligence, the Attorney General's office claims, has led to over 26,000 Washingtonians dying from opioid overdoses and tens of thousands more misusing or becoming addicted to opioids. The trial is scheduled to continue through September in King County Superior Court.
