Washington Wins $900M Verdict Against Albertsons Over Opioid Dispensing
A King County Superior Court judge ordered Albertsons to pay Washington state $900 million plus fees and costs, ruling its pharmacies failed to prevent opioid misuse and diversion. Judge Janet Helson issued the ruling Nov. 5 following a nine-week nonjury trial in a case the state filed in 2022. The attorney general's office said Albertsons dispensed more than 641 million opioid pills in the state from 2006 to 2022, most with unresolved "red flags of diversion," and filled red-flagged prescriptions more than 6.5 million times without documenting legitimacy checks. The judge awarded $800 million for abatement and $100 million in penalties, which would rise to about $340 million if the abatement order is overturned on appeal; Albertsons said it is disappointed and considering an appeal.