“I am grateful to the bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general who worked together on behalf of their citizens to hold Kroger accountable,” stated Attorney General Tim Griffin.
Arkansas will receive a large sum in a settlement with Kroger, according to a statement from Attorney General Tim Griffin.
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The amount will be up to $13,535,086.30 as the state’s share of a $1.37 billion settlement with Arkansas and 29 other states. The settlement comes as a result of a lawsuit with Kroger over its role in the opioid crisis.
“Opioid addiction continues to be a scourge in Arkansas and our nation,’ stated Attorney General Tim Griffin. “I am pleased with this settlement as the funds will go to opioid abatement. I am grateful to the bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general who worked together on behalf of their citizens to hold Kroger accountable.”
The Arkansas share of the settlement will be paid over 11 payments through 2034. Kroger has agreed to injunctive relief that requires its pharmacies to monitor, report, and share data about suspicious activity related to opioid prescriptions.
Between 2006 and 2014, Arkansas was flooded with almost 1.5 billion units of addictive opioids, according to the statement. It said that by 2016, Arkansas had the second-highest opioid prescription rate in the nation, with 114.6 opioids being dispersed for every 100 Arkansans.
In November 2023, Griffin announced a grant of $50 million of the state’s opioid settlement funds to help establish the National Center for Opioid Research & Clinical Effectiveness (NCOR) at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
If you want to read all 461 pages of the settle, you can find it at https://arkansasag.gov/wp-content/uploads/Kroger-Multistate-Settlement-Agreement.pdf.