More than 140 cities and all the Minnesota counties have signed a $300 million opioid settlement that could help the local governments to address the opioid crisis.
The settlement amount would be used to set up treatment centers, education campaigns, and other programs to deal with the opioid epidemic. The $300 million settlement is a part of the $26 billion national opioid settlement, and Minnesota will receive the payment for the same over 18 years.
The opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson (J&J), along with the drug distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson are the defendants that will pay the settlement amount, which will eventually get the companies rid of opioid liabilities. The opioid manufacturer and distributors are even accused of fueling the opioid crisis by using deceptive marketing strategies to boost opioid sales and garner profits.
The states and localities who are opting for the opioid settlement would have to agree to the clause that they will not hold the companies responsible for future opioid litigations. The deadline for the local governments to participate in the deal is February 25 post which the companies would decide if a sufficient number of local governments have signed the agreement to proceed with the process.
25% of the settlement amount would be allocated to the state, whereas 75% would be given to the counties and eligible cities. Attorney General Keith Ellison has assembled a panel to divide the payout of the settlement. The panel would include medical practitioners, public health officials and first responders, along with representatives from the League of Minnesota Cities, the Association of Minnesota Counties, and Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities.
As per the pending bankruptcy plans with pharmaceutical companies Purdue Pharma and Mallinckrodt, Minnesota might receive more tens of millions of dollars.
