Florida lawsuit's settlement of $870 million is accepted by the defendants to get rid of the opioid lawsuits, but Walgreens Co. is still reluctant to accept the agreement.
Walgreens has more than 9,000 outlets on street corners throughout the country. The state's case would be heard by a jury seated in Pasco County, Florida, just north of Tampa. The trial in the case for the opening statement is set for early next week.
A spokesman for Walgreens stated that the company would not settle and is prepared for the trial. Florida's Attorney General Ashley Moody stated that Walgreens plays a critical role in the opioid epidemic as one Walgreens outlet in the town of Hudson, Florida, consisting of about 12,000 residents, sold 2.2 million opioid tablets. As per the estimates, other Walgreens locations increased their opioid orders by 600% in a two-year period.
The AG made a statement blaming Walgreens for fueling the opioid crisis in the state, and the case against them will surely make the company pay for its wrongdoing. Walgreens, on the other hand, has denied the state's allegations.
The U.S. has recorded more than 500,000 deaths over the past two decades, which include deaths due to prescription painkillers such as OcyContin and generic oxycodone, along with illegally produced fentanyl and illicit drug heroin.
In a similar case as Walgreens, CVS Health Corp. and CVS Pharmacy Inc. will pay $484 million to the state. Even Allergan PLC and Teva Pharmaceuticals will pay more than $134 million and $195 million, respectively.
Other drug companies, including McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc., Johnson & Johnson Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Corp. have already paid millions of dollars in opioid settlements, which makes Walgreens the sole defendant in the case.
