The total count of the Pennsylvania counties joining the historic national opioid settlement has figured to be 60 out of the 67 counties across the Commonwealth after ten additional counties signed the agreement.
Blair, Centre, Crawford, Cumberland, Lycoming, Northampton, Northumberland, Pike, Somerset, and Sullivan are the additional ten counties that have recently signed the settlement.
Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who announced the news, urged the remaining local governments to sign the agreement, as it will provide the communities with the ability and resources to deal with the opioid crisis. The settlement will offer millions of dollars in resources to the counties and states across the United States to combat the opioid epidemic.
Opioid maker Johnson & Johnson (J&J), along with three major pharmaceutical distributors, Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen, are the defendants that will pay the $26 billion global settlement announced in July. The last date for the local governments to sign the agreement was January 2, which is now revised to January 26.
The settlement will provide sufficient compensation to the families and communities affected due to the opioid crisis. It will even help the governments to provide further opioid mishaps in the counties by promoting awareness and prevention programmes.
Earlier, Teva Pharmaceuticals has been held responsible for oversupplying opioids in Suffolk and Nassau counties and creating a public nuisance. A New York jury in Suffolk County State Supreme Court has announced the ruling and is yet to provide an accurate penalty amount.
