$40 Million Towards Oregon’s Fight Against Drug Addiction To Flow From Kroger Settlement
A national agreement by 30 states was reached with grocery chain Kroger, the owner of Fred Meyer Oregon, over their alleged role in the opioid crisis that will see the pharmacy giant pay a settlement of $1.37 billion.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced on Tuesday that Oregon will receive up to $40 million to fight and prevent drug addiction.
Fred Meyer Parent Company Kroger To Pay $40 Million In Opioid Settlement
The Oregon Department of Justice has settled ten agreements with pharmacy chains, pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers, and distributors in the last three years.
The estimated $645 million raised from these settlements will go to Oregon communities and has helped efforts to address the opioid crisis like recovery centers, mobile teams who reach people in addiction, and harm reduction initiatives such as naloxone kits that reverse overdoses and potentially can save lives.
In Oregon, Kroger owns stores under its name and subsidiaries, including Fred Meyer and QFC stores.
See also: Fred Meyer & QFC Agreement Reached With Oregon Workers: Union Approves New Contract
The latest agreement with Kroger provides that the company’s pharmacies must monitor, report, and share data about suspicious activities linked to opioid prescriptions.
Rosenblum said the agreement is crucial to rebuilding trust between Fred Meyer and its pharmacy customers in Oregon.
She confirmed that the funds will help communities across Oregon respond to and recover from the opioid crisis. Rosenblum also observed, “Though the damage done and the lives lost can’t be undone.”
Oregon’s Fight Against Opioid Addiction
David Hart, an assistant attorney in charge of opioid litigation and recovery/pharmaceutical fraud- and part of Rosenblum’s team, led the negotiations.
Hart confirmed the agreement with the Opioid Settlement Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Board on Wednesday. The Board handles Oregon’s share of the settlement funding.
Hart indicated that an agreement in principle has been reached in other settlements that could add a further $10 million, but these have not yet been finalized.
He said, “There’s another bunch of other settlements which I cannot talk about.”
Rosenblum’s announcement took place on her last day in office. Her successor, former Oregon House Speaker Dan Rayfield, will continue Oregon’s work with opioid settlements for funding to continue.