Washington Sues Albertsons Over Opioid Crisis | Seattle News

Seattle News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 15, 2026 · 1m

Washington is taking Albertsons to trial, accusing the giant grocery chain of fueling the opioid crisis by dispensing over 641 million pills between 2006 and 2022 — many from prescriptions flagged for abuse. The state chose to go solo, rejecting a nationwide settlement, and is seeking tens of millions in damages. Pharmacists were caught in the crossfire, forced to fill prescriptions even as doctors turned into pill mills. While Albertsons claims it followed doctors’ orders, Washington argues they failed to question red flags. This case echoes historic tobacco lawsuits, and while a settlement…