Delaware News

AG Jennings and bipartisan coalition of 30 states announce finalization of settlement with Kroger over opioid crisis

Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Monday, November 4, 2024


Navy blue background featuring the Delaware state seal in the center
Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings, alongside a bipartisan coalition of thirty state attorneys general, announced today the completion of the $1.37 billion settlement agreement with Kroger, addressing the grocery chain’s role in the opioid crisis. Delaware will receive over $2.7 million for opioid abatement, all of which will be overseen by the Prescription Opioids Settlement Distribution Commission. Payments are anticipated to begin early next year.
“The true cost of the epidemic is measured in lives, not dollars,” said Attorney General Jennings. “Delaware has long had one of the nation’s worst fatal overdose rates, and this time of the year will be especially painful for families who have lost loved ones. I am mindful of the fact that no amount of money can fully repair the damage done to our state. The task ahead of us is to save as many lives as we can; to support Delawareans in recovery; and to continue to hold Big Pharma accountable for its hand in the crisis.”
In addition, Kroger has agreed to injunctive relief that requires its pharmacies to monitor, report, and share data about suspicious activity related to opioid prescriptions. Kroger owns the Harris Teeter grocery store chain, which operates in Delaware.  You can read the settlement between Kroger and the state of Delaware here.
Thousands of Delawareans have died of overdose fatalities since 2000. These deaths—and the impacts on thousands who have struggled with opioid addiction—have created considerable costs for Delaware’s health care, child welfare, and criminal justice systems. More significant than the dollars and cents, the impact on opioid addiction, substance use, and overdose deaths have torn families apart, damaged relationships, and devastated communities.
Today’s filing is the latest action Attorney General Jennings has taken to combat the opioid crisis and to hold accountable those responsible for creating and fueling the crisis.
To date, Attorney General Jennings has obtained settlements and other resolutions of the State’s opioid related-claims that are expected to result in up to a quarter billion dollars being paid to address the opioid crisis in Delaware.
This is the twelfth opioid defendant with whom Attorney General Jennings has entered into a settlement that provided funds to abate the opioid crisis in Delaware.  The previous settling defendants are McKinsey, McKesson, Cardinal, AmerisourceBergen, Janssen, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Teva, Allergan, and Publicis.  In addition to those settlements, Delaware also received funds for opioid abatement from the bankruptcies of Mallinckrodt and Endo. As with previous opioids-related settlements, Delaware’s share of the Kroger settlement will go to the State’s Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Fund and be distributed on the recommendations of an independent commission pursuant to bipartisan legislation supported by AG Jennings. Spending from the Fund is largely restricted to services that reduce or remediate the harms caused by opioids.
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AG Jennings and bipartisan coalition of 30 states announce finalization of settlement with Kroger over opioid crisis

Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Monday, November 4, 2024


Navy blue background featuring the Delaware state seal in the center
Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings, alongside a bipartisan coalition of thirty state attorneys general, announced today the completion of the $1.37 billion settlement agreement with Kroger, addressing the grocery chain’s role in the opioid crisis. Delaware will receive over $2.7 million for opioid abatement, all of which will be overseen by the Prescription Opioids Settlement Distribution Commission. Payments are anticipated to begin early next year.
“The true cost of the epidemic is measured in lives, not dollars,” said Attorney General Jennings. “Delaware has long had one of the nation’s worst fatal overdose rates, and this time of the year will be especially painful for families who have lost loved ones. I am mindful of the fact that no amount of money can fully repair the damage done to our state. The task ahead of us is to save as many lives as we can; to support Delawareans in recovery; and to continue to hold Big Pharma accountable for its hand in the crisis.”
In addition, Kroger has agreed to injunctive relief that requires its pharmacies to monitor, report, and share data about suspicious activity related to opioid prescriptions. Kroger owns the Harris Teeter grocery store chain, which operates in Delaware.  You can read the settlement between Kroger and the state of Delaware here.
Thousands of Delawareans have died of overdose fatalities since 2000. These deaths—and the impacts on thousands who have struggled with opioid addiction—have created considerable costs for Delaware’s health care, child welfare, and criminal justice systems. More significant than the dollars and cents, the impact on opioid addiction, substance use, and overdose deaths have torn families apart, damaged relationships, and devastated communities.
Today’s filing is the latest action Attorney General Jennings has taken to combat the opioid crisis and to hold accountable those responsible for creating and fueling the crisis.
To date, Attorney General Jennings has obtained settlements and other resolutions of the State’s opioid related-claims that are expected to result in up to a quarter billion dollars being paid to address the opioid crisis in Delaware.
This is the twelfth opioid defendant with whom Attorney General Jennings has entered into a settlement that provided funds to abate the opioid crisis in Delaware.  The previous settling defendants are McKinsey, McKesson, Cardinal, AmerisourceBergen, Janssen, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Teva, Allergan, and Publicis.  In addition to those settlements, Delaware also received funds for opioid abatement from the bankruptcies of Mallinckrodt and Endo. As with previous opioids-related settlements, Delaware’s share of the Kroger settlement will go to the State’s Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Fund and be distributed on the recommendations of an independent commission pursuant to bipartisan legislation supported by AG Jennings. Spending from the Fund is largely restricted to services that reduce or remediate the harms caused by opioids.
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Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.