Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor stated the state has reached a brand new settlement with opioid producers and pharmacies.
The settlement with Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, and Allergan Pharmaceuticals would require them to pay $220,000,000.
Wednesday’s announcement means Oklahoma is getting near $1 billion in opioid settlement funds, bringing the state to the highest of the charts nationally for whole funds recovered per capita.
Allergan Pharmaceuticals, CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart have been every alleged to have no less than a partial duty in Oklahoma’s opioid disaster.
The cash will not all be paid directly.
CVS pays its share over 10 years, and Walgreen’s might be unfold over 15 years. Walmart pays most of its quantity this yr.
O’Connor stated between 2016 and 2020, greater than 3,000 Oklahomans died from opioid overdoses.
The Oklahoma State Department of Health reviews practically 25 p.c of these deaths occurred in 2020, which is the latest knowledge accessible.
The Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Board stated due to unintentional overdose deaths involving fentanyl, the Oklahoma Department of Health is not reporting deaths involving prescription opioids.
In 2019, Oklahoma reached a $65 million settlement with pharmaceutical firm, Teva. In the identical yr, a virtually $200 million settlement was reached with Purdue Pharma.
Purdue Pharma can also be required to pay an annual $15 million to OSU’s Center for Wellness and Recovery till 2024 which is able to go towards treating dependancy.
O’Connor stated Oklahoma’s counties and cities should signal on to the settlements to get a part of the settlements distributed to them.
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