Kroger to pay California $122M in opioid settlement

Kroger will pay $122 million to the state of California for its role in the opioid crisis, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Monday. 

The payment is part of a $1.37 billion settlement agreement with states across the country for failing to appropriately oversee the dispensing of overprescribed opioids at its pharmacies. That agreement was reached in September 2023. 

Kroger operates more than 2,200 pharmacies in 35 states. 

The settlement payments to California will begin next year and will be used for opioid abatement programs, according to Bonta. 

“At the California Department of Justice, we are committed to holding entities, like Kroger, accountable for their role in fueling the opioid epidemic,” Bonta said in a press release. “Today’s announcement builds on our commitment in our continued fight for justice and relief. The funds secured in this settlement will allow the state and eligible cities and counties to continue addressing the harms inflicted by this epidemic through comprehensive prevention, treatment and recovery programs, and other resources.”

Kroger released a statement in response to the agreement with California, saying it is “pleased that Kroger’s previously announced multistate settlement received enough state and subdivision participation to become effective and binding.” 

“Kroger will continue to combat opioid abuse, and it remains focused on providing fresh and affordable groceries to communities across the country,” the company said, adding that the settlement resolves “nearly all the outstanding opioid-related claims against the company.”

The settlement agreement in California also requires Kroger pharmacies to “monitor, report, and share data about suspicious activity related to opioid prescriptions.”

The $1.37 billion settlement agreement reached in 2023 includes $1.2 billion for the states, $36 million to Native American tribes, both of which will be paid over 11 years, and $177 million in attorneys’ fees.