Judge Orders Albertsons to Pay $900 Million Over Opioid Dispensing in Washington
A King County Superior Court judge, Janet Helson, ruled on Nov. 5 that Albertsons must pay the state of Washington $900 million, finding that its pharmacies failed to prevent addictive painkillers from being diverted and fueled the state's opioid epidemic. The state attorney general sued in 2022, alleging that Albertsons pharmacies dispensed opioids more than 6.5 million times between 2006 and 2022 despite red flags indicating a risk of diversion.
Albertsons operates about 200 pharmacies in Washington, many under the Safeway brand. The state had asked the court to order $2.2 billion for abatement of the harm and additional penalties. The judge issued the ruling after a bench trial.
State officials say more than 26,000 Washington residents have died of opioid overdoses during the epidemic. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 806,000 people died of opioid overdoses across the United States from 1999 to 2023.
(Source: Reuters)
Source: Reuters
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：金县政府大楼。（GSM 固定图库） / Photo: The King County government building.
