DENVER — Colorado is set to receive tens of millions of dollars as a national grocery chain settles litigation related to the opioid epidemic.
Albertsons, which operates nearly 100 Safeways and Albertsons in Colorado, is set to pay out nearly $774 million nationally under a planned opioid settlement, the company and Colorado's attorney general announced Tuesday. Colorado is set to receive at least $32 million as part of the planned agreement, the release from the attorney general's office said.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said the settlement stems from the company's "wrongful conduct."
"They were pushing out opioids, fueling an addiction crisis, when they could and should have been asking an important question, why are all these people getting so many opioids?" Weiser told Denver7. "They didn't ask those questions. Many people were not asking questions. They were just cashing checks. Now these companies are being held to account. Now we have money to invest in treatment recovery to address this crisis."
An Albertsons statement said the settlement is a "step toward resolving opioid-related litigation" and is "not an admission of wrongdoing or liability."
"For years, Albertsons Cos. has invested in strong pharmacy practices designed to promote the safe and appropriate use of prescription medications," the statement said. "The Company is proud of its pharmacists and their long-standing role in promoting responsible medication use."
Certain aspects of the agreement remain under negotiation.
According to the attorney general's office, "important negotiations with respect to injunctive relief continue."
The latest agreement is set to bring the total of opioid settlement money Colorado has received to more than $912 million, according to the attorney general's office. Walgreens, CVS, Walmart and Kroger (which owns King Soopers) are among the other companies the state is receiving opioid settlement money from.
The majority of funds, 60%, are distributed to regional councils that decide how to distribute and manage the funds with oversight from the state's opioid abatement council. Local governments receive a 20% share, and the state and infrastructure projects each receive a 10% share.
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