Attorney General Dan Rayfield today announced an agreement in principle requiring grocery chain Albertsons — which operates in Oregon as Albertsons and Safeway — to pay up to $773 million to address its role in the opioid epidemic. Oregon helped lead the multistate negotiations and will receive up to $38.2 million over nine years to fund addiction treatment and recovery programs across the state.
“Every dollar from this settlement is going toward helping Oregonians recover – treatment, services, and support for the families and communities hit hardest by this crisis,” said Attorney General Rayfield. “Oregon pharmacies have a legal and moral obligation to be part of the solution, not the problem.”
The settlement covers Albertsons’ conduct as a pharmacy chain that dispensed opioids during the height of the crisis. While the parties have agreed on the total dollar amount, negotiations are ongoing over injunctive relief – the conduct changes that will govern how Albertsons operates its pharmacies going forward.
Nationally, $655 million of the total will go into an abatement fund for states and local governments to direct toward opioid recovery efforts. The settlement is not yet final. Both parties are continuing to negotiate remaining terms.
