Walgreens must pay $230M to San Francisco in opioid lawsuit
SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco on Wednesday reached a $230 million settlement with drugstore chain Walgreens for its role in the opioid epidemic.
City Attorney David Chiu announced the landmark settlement on the steps of City Hall Wednesday morning. Walgreens will make payments over the course of 14 years, with the bulk coming in the first eight years.
The funds will go toward addressing San Francisco's opioid crisis, city leaders said.
"Opioids have wreaked havoc across our nation leading to immense suffering and untold damage," said Chiu. "Cities like San Francisco have shouldered much of the burden of the opioid epidemic."
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This settlement stems from a lawsuit San Francisco brought against the drugstore chain in 2018 for fueling the opioid crisis. San Francisco sued multiple opioid manufacturers, distributors, and dispensers, in which all of them settled in 2022, except for Walgreens.
During the trial, Judge Charles R. Breyer ruled in San Francisco’s favor and found Walgreens liable for substantially contributing the city's crisis and perpetuating a widespread public nuisance.
The court found that Walgreens over-dispensed opioids without proper due diligence and failed to identify, report, and halt suspicious orders as required by law.