Washington Sues Albertsons Over Opioids | Seattle News

Washington is suing Albertsons, claiming its pharmacies ignored red flags and dispensed hundreds of millions of opioid pills during the crisis, potentially paving the way for more state funding to fight addiction. The state argues pharmacies should have acted as a final safety net, while Albertsons blames doctors and says it followed legal prescriptions. This isn’t the first time Washington has sought accountability — it’s already collected over $1.3 billion from drug makers, including $106 million from Purdue Pharma. Albertsons itself recently settled for $774 million nationwide. In Washington alone, between 2006 and 2022, Albertsons’ pharmacies distributed over 641 million pills, many with warning signs. The defense says the opioid surge began in the 90s due to shifting medical norms and that pharmacists’ role was limited to lawful prescriptions — a few errors didn’t cause an epidemic. The trial, set to last through September, could reshape how pharmacies are held responsible for public health crises. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/9e11aabee36d0a83