Washington state AG files lawsuits against pharmacy chains over opioid crisis

Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a lawsuit against Albertsons (ACI), Krogers (KR) and Rite Aid (RAD), whose pharmacy chains helped fuel Washington state’s opioid epidemic. Ferguson asserts the pharmacies served as the last line of defense in the opioid supply chain and failed in their collective responsibility to prevent the overuse of opioid prescriptions. Ferguson also announced resolutions with five other companies that produced or sold opioids. This will bring Washington state’s total recoveries to more than $1.1B for funding opioid abatement and treatment programs. Ferguson filed the lawsuit in King County Superior Court against Albertsons, Kroger and Rite Aid. Those companies also acquired pharmacy chains like Safeway, QFC, Fred Meyer and Bartell Drugs. The lawsuit asserts they collectively ignored federal regulations, put profits over safety and knowingly oversupplied prescription opioids into Washington state. This oversupply led to a separate illegal market that flooded communities with highly addictive and dangerous drugs and local governments are still coping with the damage these pharmacies helped cause. Ferguson also recently signed multistate resolutions with five other companies, which the Attorney General’s Office estimates could total: CVS (CVS): $110.6M to Washington state over 10 years; Walgreens (WBA): $120.3M to Washington state over 15 years; Walmart (WMT): $62.6M to Washington state and 97% of that paid in the first year; Teva (TEVA): $90.7M to Washington state over the next 13 years; and Allergan (ABBV): $50M to Washington state over the next seven years. Reference Link