CINCINNATI (WXIX) - Cincinnati-based The Kroger Co. is under federal investigation for alleged False Claims Act violations in its opioid dispensing practices, according to newly filed court records.

This is not Kroger’s first legal issue with opioid distribution.

But it’s new and separate from broader opioid-related settlements the supermarket chain has already reached with states.

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating allegations that Kroger, which has pharmacies in many of its stores, submitted false claims to government healthcare programs like Medicare for opioids and other drugs that were not “reasonable, necessary, or eligible for coverage,” court records show.

This is all revealed in court filings made public Thursday as the DOJ asked the court to order Kroger to fully

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