Judge orders Albertsons to pay $900m for role in Washington state opioid crisis

King County Superior Court Judge Janet Helson handed down the verdict after a nine-week trial. Washington has now won nearly $2.2 billion for state and local governments in numerous cases against drug manufacturers and distributors, with the money going toward resources to prevent drug abuse and overdoses. The $900 million may take a while to reach Washington, as Albertsons can appeal the verdict.

The state alleged Albertsons, which owns Safeway and Haggen and runs more than 200 pharmacies in Washington, dispensed 641 million opioid pills between 2006 and 2022. Brown's office said many of those prescriptions had red flags that should have been investigated before the pills were distributed, and that Albertsons filled prescriptions more than 6.5 million times without showing that pharmacists had confirmed doctors wrote them for legitimate medical purposes.

"This is a victory for the people of the state of Washington," Brown told reporters after the verdict. "It is a victory that affirms that when corporations put safety measures at risk, when they do not prioritize their customers, when they are focused not on safety, that they will be held accountable."

In a statement, Albertsons said it was "disappointed by the court's ruling and respectfully disagrees with its conclusions." The company said it was reviewing the decision closely and would evaluate all available options, including appeal, adding: "We are proud of our pharmacists and their dedication to the patients and communities they serve, and we will continue to support our customers and communities across Washington through responsible pharmacy operations."

At trial, the company's lawyers argued that doctors were responsible for prescribing the dangerous opioids more aggressively to treat pain.

Albertsons has been defending against similar claims across the country. In April, the grocery chain agreed to pay $774 million to settle numerous other lawsuits, but Washington did not sign on to receive any of that money. Brown said the state believed the liability and accountability it needed to achieve against Albertsons was greater than the efforts seen elsewhere, calling the $900 million verdict confirmation of that approach.

State evidence included cases of pharmacies dispensing thousands of pills to single customers and employees stealing pills. A Safeway employee in North Bend reportedly swiped more than 70,000 opioid pills over two years before getting caught, and the store agreed in 2017 to temporarily suspend filling controlled substance prescriptions after an investigation found it had not notified the DEA of missing hydrocodone tablets until months after learning of the theft. Safeway agreed to pay $3 million in that case.

The case was filed under now-Gov. Bob Ferguson during his tenure as attorney general. Ferguson wrote on social media Thursday that going after companies responsible for fueling the opioid crisis was a top priority for him, adding: “I was proud to file this case, and proud to see the Attorney General's Office bring it to trial and win.” Kroger agreed in 2024 to pay Washington $47.5 million.