On behalf of the state of Utah, Attorney General Sean D. Reyes has filed a lawsuit against three major pharmaceutical chains, Walgreens, Smith’s/Kroger, and Rite-Aid.
The lawsuit claims that the chains in question “improperly distributed prescription pain medication and actively exacerbated the opioid crisis.”
In a press release, the lawsuit stated that the three pharmacies created an abatable public nuisance and disregarded their duties to maintain controls against diversion.
The lawsuit claims that specific Walgreens locations had received enough deliveries that they had to store boxes in unsecured locations and that Smith’s/Kroger had failed to report their suspicious orders to control the supply of opioids across the state.
On top of other accusations, the lawsuit alleged that the companies had been working together to increase profits and lobby against restrictions of using and enforcing the opioids.