Kroger Settlement: $1.37 Billion Opioid Payout and Required Changes

The Kroger opioid settlement is a $1.37 billion national agreement, finalized on November 4, 2024, that resolves claims by 30 state attorneys general and thousands of local governments accusing the company’s pharmacies of failing to catch and stop suspicious opioid prescriptions. Kroger will pay the money out over 11 years, and every dollar directed to governments must be spent on opioid remediation. The company did not admit wrongdoing.¹²

What the Lawsuits Alleged

States argued that Kroger, unusual among pharmacy defendants, operated as both a wholesale distributor and a retail chain, which put it in a position to see excessive opioid orders coming and going. The complaints said it didn’t act on what it saw.³

Kentucky’s filing spelled out the theory in numbers. Between 2006 and 2019, the state alleged, more than 100 Kroger pharmacies in Kentucky dispensed about 11 percent of all opioid pills sold in the state — roughly 444 million doses. The state said Kroger reported zero suspicious orders from its Kentucky stores between 2007 and 2014 and dispensed prescriptions that lacked a legitimate medical purpose, ignoring red flags like unusually large orders and cash payments for opioid-benzodiazepine combinations.⁴⁵

How the $1.37 Billion Breaks Down

The global settlement amount is $1,372,800,000. Within that:

Up to $1.2 billion goes to state and local government opioid remediation.
Up to $148.8 million covers private attorney fees.
Up to $16 million covers state attorneys general fees and costs.
$8 million is set aside for further remediation.

An additional $36 million is designated for Native American tribes and is administered separately from the state pool.⁶²

Payment Schedule

Payments are due on March 31 of each year for 11 years, starting in 2024. The pre-tax amount runs about $140 million per year for the first six years and drops to roughly $110 million per year for the remaining five.⁷ The initial agreement in principle was announced on September 8, 2023, and the finalized deal took effect in November 2024.⁸

Who Gets the Money

The settlement covers 33 eligible states plus the District of Columbia, which is essentially the footprint where Kroger and its subsidiaries operate. If your state isn’t on that list, the national deal doesn’t reach it. Each state’s share follows a formula in the agreement, but the number a state actually receives depends on how many of its cities and counties sign on, whether the state qualifies for incentive payments, and other variables.¹⁹

Local governments participate by signing subdivision participation forms, and in many states by adopting an intrastate allocation agreement that sets how money is split between the state and its cities and counties. Sign-on deadlines varied by state. Texas subdivisions had until December 29, 2024; Washington’s eligible local governments had until August 12, 2024.¹⁰¹¹

Every dollar going to a state or local government has to be used for opioid remediation. That covers treatment, prevention, recovery services, first-responder support, and related public health programs. It’s not general revenue.

Individuals Are Not Paid

This is a government settlement. Patients, families, and individuals affected by opioid use don’t file claims and don’t receive payments through this deal. Money flows to state agencies and local governments, which then fund abatement programs. If you’re looking for personal compensation, the Kroger opioid settlement is not the mechanism.

Sample State Allocations

Publicly disclosed amounts give a sense of the range across participating states:

California: up to $122 million, with most going to local governments for abatement programs.¹²
Georgia: over $55 million for treatment, prevention, and recovery services.¹³
Washington: $47.5 million over 11 years, split evenly between the state and eligible local governments, with a first payment of $4.3 million expected within months of finalization.¹⁴
Illinois: approximately $40 million, most of it directed to the Illinois Remediation Fund.¹

Tribal Allocation

The $36 million tribal pool is handled on its own track. Tribes must file a participation form by the deadline set for each individual settlement and file an annual report confirming that funds are being used for opioid abatement. Tribes that received distributions in 2025 had to complete a Tribal Opioid Abatement Use Report by January 31, 2026, to stay eligible for future payments.¹⁵

What Kroger Has to Change

The settlement is not only money. Kroger pharmacies are required to monitor, report, and share data about suspicious activity tied to opioid prescriptions. The reporting timelines, oversight, and compliance auditing sit in an exhibit to the settlement rather than the main text.¹⁶

Kentucky’s Separate Deal

Kentucky did not join the national settlement. Attorney General Russell Coleman sued Kroger in Bullitt County Circuit Court in February 2024, and by October 2024 the parties agreed to a $108.4 million settlement payable over 14 years. Annual payments start at roughly $6.4 million and rise to about $8.4 million in the final years. Half of the money is distributed to Kentucky cities and counties, and half goes to the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission. The Kentucky deal was contingent on the national settlement taking effect, and the consent judgment was finalized in early 2025.¹⁷⁴

How It Compares to Other Pharmacy Deals

At $1.37 billion, Kroger’s payout is smaller than Walgreens’ reported $4.7 billion opioid settlement but still ranks among the largest pharmacy-chain agreements. In a separate line of litigation, the Sixth Circuit in February 2025 vacated a $650 million judgment against CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart, holding that Ohio’s product liability law does not allow public nuisance claims in the opioid context. That ruling did not affect the Kroger deal, which is a negotiated settlement rather than a court judgment.⁷

1
Illinois Attorney General. Attorney General Raoul Announces Bipartisan National Opioid Settlement With Kroger for Over $1 Billion Is Now Final
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Los Angeles Times. California Finalizes $122 Million Opioid Settlement Agreement With Grocery Giant Kroger
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The New York Times. Kroger Opioid Settlement
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Spectrum News 1. Kentucky Attorney General Kroger
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Kentucky Attorney General. Commonwealth of Kentucky v. The Kroger Co., Complaint
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Opioid Settlement Tracker. Global Settlement Tracker
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National Opioid Settlement. Kroger Co. Settlement
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National Opioid Official Settlement. State Allocation Amounts
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Texas Attorney General. Global Opioid Settlement
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Washington Attorney General. Kroger Opioid Settlement
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California Attorney General. Attorney General Bonta: California to Receive $122 Million in Opioid Agreement With Kroger
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WABE. Georgia Getting $55 Million From Kroger Settlement to Fight Opioid Epidemic
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Washington Attorney General. AG Ferguson: Kroger to Pay $47.5 Million to Washington to Combat Fentanyl Epidemic
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Tribal Opioid Settlements. Tribal Opioid Settlements
16
Colorado Attorney General. Finalize $1.37 Billion Nationwide Opioid Settlement With Kroger
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Kentucky Attorney General. Commonwealth of Kentucky v. The Kroger Co., Consent Judgment