$530M Opioid Settlement Expected For Virginia

Introduction

Virginia is all set to get $530 million in the coming months from the national opioid settlement with the manufacturers to fight the opioid crisis in the state.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said that the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority decided to send the money to the localities to decide how to use it for better prevention and recovery strategies from the addiction of drugs. Johnson & Johnson (J&J), along with three major drug distributors of the U.S would pay the settlement amount.

Region Ten, a community board service, sees the impact of the opioid crisis every day. It is supported by the Department of behavioral health and developmental services, so it would not get direct funding, but they expect the funds to deal with the opioid crisis in the communities by providing opioid prevention, treatment and recovery work.

The AG even informed that no matter from which county the plaintiff is from, he/she is liable to get the amount from the settlement to compensate the opioid harm.

The settlement amount will be disbursed from the national opioid settlement of $ 26 billion, which got the final approval earlier this week. The settlement agreement involves Johnson & Johnson (J&J) along with drug distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson, who will pay $5 billion and $21 billion respectively as the share of the settlement.

The death rate due to opioids in the U.S. has increased drastically, with over 76,000 people dying in 12 months until April 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic. Over the last two decades, the country witnessed over 500,000 opioid-related deaths.

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