Kroger will Pay $86M to Settle Opioid Claims in West Virginia

Kroger will be paying a hefty amount to settle a lawsuit in West Virginia alleging the grocery store chain contributed to the oversupply of opioids in the state as well as failing to maintain effective controls.

The state announced the agreement on Thursday and declared it as a “warning to others.” “We fight hard for those affected the most by the opioid epidemic and will stop at nothing in getting justice for them,” said Patrick Morrisey, West Virginia Attorney General. “West Virginia remains on top in settlement dollars per capita. And 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 lawsuit also involved Walgreens, Walmart, CVS and Rite Aid. CNN reported, “Walgreens settled in January for $83 million, while Walmart and CVS settled with the state last September: Walmart agreed to a settlement of $65 million and CVS for $82.5 million. Last August, Rite Aid settled for up to $30 million.”

The financial impact of the lawsuit will reportedly be minimal as Kroger booked $4.1 billion in profits last year, according to CNN.

Kroger is one of the many wholesalers and drug companies that have been involved with lawsuits regarding the opioid crisis.