LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin announced on Monday that the Natural State, along with 29 other states, have reached an opioid settlement with Kroger.
According to AG Griffin, Arkansas is set to receive up to $13,535,086.30 as part of a $1.3 billion settlement that's being awarded to 30 total states. AG Griffin said that this settlement from Kroger is due to "its role in the opioid crisis."
“Opioid addiction continues to be a scourge in Arkansas and our nation. I am pleased with this settlement as the funds will go to opioid abatement," AG Griffin said. "I am grateful to the bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general who worked together on behalf of their citizens to hold Kroger accountable.”
The payout to Arkansas will be completed through 11 payments spanning to 2034. According to the attorney general, Kroger pharmacies will now be required to "monitor, report, and share data about suspicious activity related to opioid prescriptions."
This settlement comes as Arkansas saw an influx of opioid units between the span of 2006 and 2014, with Arkansas having the second-highest opioid prescription rate in the nation in 2016, according to AG Griffin.
To read the settlement in its entirety, you can click here.
