Walgreens to Pay San Francisco Approximately USD230 Million in Opioid Settlement
Date
5/18/2023 6:03:15 AM
(MENAFN) Walgreens has agreed to pay San Francisco approximately USD230 million to settle a case related to the pharmacy chain's distribution of opioids, according to an announcement made by San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu on Wednesday. The settlement will be paid over a period of 14 years, with the majority of the funds allocated during the first eight years. While this settlement represents the largest amount received by any city in opioid-related litigation from a single company, it falls significantly short of the USD8.1 billion sought by San Francisco.
Chiu emphasized the significant burden placed on cities like San Francisco due to the opioid epidemic and highlighted the importance of holding Walgreens accountable for its role in fueling the crisis. He stated that the historic agreement ensures that the city receives appropriate resources to combat the opioid crisis and provide relief to affected communities.
In 2018, San Francisco filed a lawsuit against Walgreens, Purdue Pharma, and other opioid manufacturers and distributors, seeking to hold them responsible for their contributions to the opioid epidemic. In 2022, a judge determined that Walgreens had substantially contributed to San Francisco's opioid epidemic. The judge's ruling noted that Walgreens had not provided its pharmacists with sufficient time, staffing, or resources to adequately scrutinize opioid prescriptions.
Walgreens, however, disputes liability and has not admitted fault in the settlement agreement. Fraser Engerman, Walgreens' senior director for external relations, stated that the company never manufactured or marketed opioids nor distributed them to "pill mills" or online pharmacies.
According to Chiu's office, opioid-related overdose deaths in San Francisco increased by nearly 500 percent between 2014 and 2020. The impact of the crisis is evident in the city's Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, where approximately a quarter of emergency room visits are related to drug use, resulting in around 30 cases per day. Dr. Christopher Colwell, the hospital's chief of emergency medicine, testified in federal court on behalf of the city, highlighting that patients requiring drug-related emergency care come from diverse backgrounds.
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