Oregon will receive up to $40 million to fight and prevent drug addiction as part of a national opioid settlement with Kroger.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum on Tuesday announced the deal, which is part of a $1.37 billion national settlement with the grocery chain for its pharmacies’ alleged role in the opioid crisis. Thirty states are part of the agreement.
The agreement is the latest in a series of opioid settlements during Rosenblum’s tenure that will bring hundreds of millions into the state to fight the crisis. In the past three years, the Oregon Department of Justice has been part of 10 agreements with pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers, distributors and pharmacy chains that will bring an estimated $645 million to Oregon communities to fight the opioid crisis.
The money has aided efforts like mobile teams that reach people in addiction, recovery centers and harm reduction, including naloxone kits that reverse overdoses and save lives.
In this agreement, the company’s pharmacies are also required to monitor, report and share data about suspicious activities tied to opioid prescriptions. Kroger owns stores under its name as well as subsidiaries that include Fred Meyer and QFC stores in Oregon.
“This settlement with one of the pharmacy giants in Oregon is a crucial step forward in the rebuilding of trust between Fred Meyer and its pharmacy customers in Oregon,” Rosenblum said in a statement.
Rosenblum made the same announcement the same day voters picked her successor, former Oregon House Speaker Dan Rayfield. Though Rosenblum is leaving office, the state’s work with opioid settlement dollars will continue.
“The funds provided will help communities across Oregon respond to and recover from the opioid crisis, though the damage done and the lives lost can’t be undone,” Rosenblum said.
She also praised her team and David Hart, an assistant attorney in charge of opioid litigation and recovery/pharmaceutical fraud, for leading the negotiations.
On Wednesday, Hart spoke about the agreement with the Opioid Settlement Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Board, which handles the state’s share of the settlement funding.
Hart signaled that more money – and agreements – are around the corner with an “agreement in principle” reached but not finalized.
“There’s another bunch of other settlements which I cannot talk about,” he said, adding that those pending agreements will likely add about $10 million on top of the $40 million from Kroger.
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