California to get $122M in Kroger opioids settlement

(KRON) -- The California Attorney General announced the state will receive up to $122 million from the grocery store chain Kroger as part of a $1.27 billion agreement for its role in the opioid crisis.

CA Attorney General Rob Bonta said Monday the settlement concludes Kroger “failed to appropriately oversee the dispensing of opioids at its pharmacies." The payments are planned to be distributed early next year.

In the settlement, Kroger agreed that it will require “its pharmacies to monitor, report, and share data about suspicious activity related to opioid prescriptions.”’

“At the California Department of Justice, we are committed to holding entities, like Kroger, accountable for their role in fueling the opioid epidemic,” said Attorney General Bonta in a press release. "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."

In total, California is expected to get up to $4.2 billion in opioid abatement funds due to Bonta securing nearly $50 billion from nationwide settlements and bankruptcies.

Kroger operates throughout California with its main subsidiary being Ralph’s.