Pennsylvania is set to receive additional funds in opioid settlement
Pennsylvania is about to get additional money from the national opioid settlement that has so far brought more than $2 billion to the commonwealth.
That’s because the $7.4 billion settlement reached with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, the company’s proprietors, has gone into effect. According to the office of state Attorney General Dave Sunday, Pennsylvania is expected to receive more than $200 million as a result of the settlement, and it will be disbursed over a 15-year period and be targeted for programs dealing with addiction, recovery and prevention.
Purdue Pharma is one of a handful of companies that has had to pay billions of dollars in the nationwide opioid settlement, which is settling claims brought in lawsuits filed by local governments, state attorney generals and others. Those suits contended that the addictive nature of prescription opioids was actively concealed or downplayed, leading to the deaths of almost 1 million people. Along with manufacturers like Purdue, pharmacy chains, marketing firms and distributors have also been targeted by lawsuits and have contributed to the settlement.
Sunday said in a news release, “This $7.4 billion settlement is a major step in holding Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family accountable for fueling the opioid crisis. It delivers critical resources to communities and victims across Pennsylvania and the nation. While it cannot undo the harm caused by those responsible, it does hold them accountable and provide support for those impacted.”
Along with the $7.4 billion payout, the settlement prevents the Sackler family from selling opioids in the United States, and mandates that they make public millions of documents related to their opioid business.
Funds from the Perdue/Sackler settlement could reach Pennsylvania by the end of the year, according to the state attorney general’s office.