$110M Settlement Reached In Philly's Opioid Lawsuit Against Walgreens

PHILADELPHIA — A major settlement agreement has been reached between the City of Philadelphia and Walgreens after the city sued the company in relation to the opioid addiction crisis.

The city Friday said it reached a $110 million settlement agreement in its lawsuit against Walgreens. In 2021, the city sued the company, alleging is played a role in supplying and perpetuating the opioid addiction crisis in Philadelphia.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the city will receive the funds over five years, with the first payment coming in September.

Officials anticipate the money will be used to fund efforts to remediate the harms caused by the opioid crisis in Philadelphia’s most impacted neighborhoods, including substance use education, treatment, prevention, and community engagement efforts.

"I am proud of the successful resolution of this lawsuit under the leadership of City Solicitor Renee Garcia and the Law Department," Mayor Cherelle Parker said. Through this settlement, the City of Philadelphia has successfully held Walgreens accountable for oversupplying powerful drugs to people in our communities — with little consideration for the risk of addiction or harm posed by opioids. The $110 million in funds from this settlement will support our Kensington Community Revitalization Plan and other efforts across Philadelphia to reinforce public health and safety in neighborhoods that have been hit the hardest by the opioid crisis."

"The opioid epidemic continues to be a scourge on our nation as well as right here in our Philadelphia communities," said Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel. "This settlement is a step in the right direction to hold those accountable who enabled this crisis and to provide much-needed resources for treatment, prevention, and harm reduction efforts. The Philadelphia Police Department remains committed to working alongside our partners to dismantle the illegal drug trade, get help to those in need, and make our communities safer."