Addison Opts to Participate in State's Opioid Litigation Settlement

After years of negotiations, two proposed nationwide settlement agreements have been reached which would resolve all opioid litigation brought by states and local governments against the three largest pharmaceutical distributors, McKesson, Cardinal Health, and Amerisource Bergen, and one manufacturer, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and its parent company Johnson & Johnson.

 

The proposed settlements require the companies to pay billions of dollars to abate the opioid epidemic. Specifically, the settlements require the distributors to pay up to $21 billion over 18 years and Janssen to pay up to $5 billion over no more than nine years, for a total of $26 billion. Of the settlement amount, approximately $22.7 billion is earmarked for use by participating states and political subdivisions to remediate and abate the impacts of the opioid crisis. The settlements also contain injunctive relief provisions governing the opioid marketing, sale, and distribution practices at the heart of the states' and subdivisions' lawsuits and further require the Distributors to implement additional safeguards to prevent diversion of prescription opioids.

 

At its December meeting, the City Council approved a resolution that confirms the Town’s participation in the state of Texas’ Opioid Litigation Settlement. Addison's allocation of the settlement will be approximately $58,094 that can be used for expanded training and supplies for first responders, opioid-related treatment programs, and opioid prevention programs, among other things.

 

You can watch Council's opioid settlement discussion here.