Weekly Mass Torts Bulletin 2023-January-23
West Virginia To Get $83M From Walgreens Over Opioid Crisis
West Virginia reached an $83 million deal with Walgreens to end a lawsuit over the drugstore chain's participation in the state's opioid problem.
According to the state Attorney General, Walgreens has agreed to pay the compensation over an eight-year period. The proceeds from all opioid settlements will be dispersed in accordance with an agreement reached with the state and municipal governments on how to address the state's opioid issue.
According to the attorney general, the state will continue to pursue justice for those most affected by the opioid crisis. He said that while this and subsequent settlements will not bring back the lives lost due to the opioid epidemic; we hope that the money will give considerable assistance to people in West Virginia most affected by the issue.
The settlement ends a lawsuit alleging that the drugstore chain's failure to maintain adequate diversion controls contributed to the state's opioid oversupply.
Walgreens is a defendant in a class action lawsuit filed by Kroger, Walmart, CVS, and Rite Aid. Walmart and CVS reached a $147 million settlement with the state in September, while Rite Aid reached a $30 million settlement in August. Kroger is the only surviving defendant, and his trial is set for June.
Kroger is accused of failing to disclose questionable medication orders to the Drug Enforcement Administration and the West Virginia Board of Pharmacy, according to the attorney general.
$2M For Austin Public Health To Fight Opioid Crisis
Local officials now have new allies in their fight against Travis County's escalating problem of deadly opioid overdoses.
The federal government is now collaborating with local officials to help handle a local public health concern. Overdoses of synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, are killing an increasing number of individuals in Travis County.
A Congressman from Austin said that he had secured $2 million in federal funding for a large-scale endeavour right here at home. He added that it is a direct allocation to address drug overdoses, community education, and prevention and response.
Austin Public Health requested the funds to improve prevention and outreach initiatives, as well as to pay for treatment, harm reduction measures, and rehabilitation programmes.
Austin and Travis County have already invested in the distribution of Narcan, a quick-acting opioid overdose therapy. However, Austin's mayor claims that just making Narcan more readily available would not fix the problem. According to him, the substance (Narcan) is in great demand and has low supply, so while we have life-saving medication that is necessary for these emergency situations, it is not a comprehensive solution to the underlying problem. We must take precautionary precautions.
The government award will assist spread the message that prevention is vital and that any medication you consume that was not explicitly authorised and supplied to you might be fatal.
The Austin Travis County Health Authority emphasises the importance of only taking medications recommended by a doctor, since the first tablet you take from a stranger might be the one that kills you. The local, county, and federal governments are now collaborating on this public health catastrophe, and they want the state of Texas to help.
Typically, the state of Texas passes on federal funds for Health and Human Services (HHS) problems. They are administering but not contributing. The surplus provides the opportunity for the government to do more. Many individuals appear to be interested in the state budget surplus.
Hamilton County Scheduled To Earn $7M In Opioid Settlement
As fentanyl deaths rise, Hamilton County is scheduled to earn more than $7 million as part of a $26 billion nationwide settlement with an opioid producer and distributor.
On July 21, 2021, a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general announced final settlements with Johnson & Johnson, a prescription opioid producer, and the three main pharmaceutical distributors, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson. The corporations paid $26 billion in restitution for activities that contributed to the opioid crisis and agreed to reform their business practises to ensure the safety of opioid prescriptions.
The Indiana funds are part of the state's $509 million share of the wider settlement. The cash will be distributed over an 18-year period. The vast bulk will be devoted to combating drug misuse.
According to the Hamilton County Coroner, over 30 individuals died from opioid overdoses between October 2022 and October 2023, 19 of them from fentanyl. Since 2014, the county has averaged 29 opioid fatalities each year, with fentanyl being the major cause.
The Indiana Department of Health stated that 2,554 Hoosiers died from drug overdoses in 2021, with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids accounting for more than 70% of the deaths. As of August 1, 2022, over 2,500 Indians have died as a result of opioids.
Indiana also won pharmaceutical store assistance, which will be given next year. The state of Indiana earned $219 million in a settlement with CVS and Walgreens, as well as $53 million in a $3.1 billion countrywide deal with Walmart.
According to Hamilton County Commissioner Mark Heirbrandt, the cash might be used for a drug and behavioural evaluation facility as well as addiction treatment programmes. The clinic, which will be located at Riverview Hospital, will enhance the referral and treatment of overdose victims.
The county will get more than $1 million in the initial payment and around $194,000 every year until 2038.