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Arizona to receive millions in Kroger opioid settlement

Fry's grocery store
Emma VandenEinde/KJZZ
/
editorial | staff
The grand opening of a Fry's grocery store in downtown Phoenix on Oct. 23, 2019.

At least 30 states will benefit from a nearly $2 billion settlement with Kroger for its part in the opioid crisis, and Arizona is one of them.

Kroger operates grocery store chains under its own name and other subsidiaries like Fry’s or Smith’s Food and Drug in Arizona.

Now, the state will receive up to $68.5 million to fund programs, strategies and other methods of abating opioid misuse.

In a statement, Attorney General Kris Mayes called it a step toward combating the opioid crisis and holding those responsible for it accountable.

As part of the settlement, Kroger has also agreed that its pharmacies will be required to monitor, report and share data related to any suspicious prescription-related activity.

Kirsten Dorman is a field correspondent at KJZZ. Born and raised in New Jersey, Dorman fell in love with audio storytelling as a freshman at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2019.