CHICAGO – Illinois will receive a $40 million share of a $1.4 billion bipartisan national settlement with Kroger over the grocery chain’s role in the opioid crisis, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced. The settlement is the latest contribution to the 2021 Illinois Opioid Allocation Agreement steered by Raoul and state’s attorneys.
“This settlement ensures Kroger is held accountable and allows resources to reach communities hardest hit by this ongoing opioid crisis that continues to affect all corners of America,” Raoul said in a Nov. 4 statement announcing the settlement.
Under the agreement Kroger will also require its pharmacies “to monitor, report and share data about suspicious activity related to opioid prescriptions,” the statement said. The agreement will only be applicable to states in which Kroger and its subsidiaries operate, according to the statement, noting that in Illinois, Kroger operates under the Kroger name as well as Mariano’s and others.
By 2038, Illinois’ Opioid Remediation Fund is projected to receive approximately $772.6 million in total from various opioid manufacturers and distributors, according to the settlement fund allocation dashboard operated by the Illinois Department of Human Services. Illinois was awarded more than $420 million from Johnson & Johnson, Walmart, Walgreens, Allergan, CVS, Teva, Mallinckrodt, and opioid distributors, such as AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson.