Legislators in Wisconsin are prepared to accept the state's portion of a settlement resulting from a separate multistate lawsuit accusing drug producers and distributors of fueling the nation's opioid crisis.
In November and December, a group of states and local governments obtained $19.2 billion in settlements from drug distributors Walmart, Walgreens, and CVS as well as opioid producers Teva and Allergan.
About $324.3 million will be given to Wisconsin, with 30% going to the state and 70% to county governments. The Joint Finance Committee of the Legislature will decide whether to accept the funds during an upcoming meeting.
If the corporations accept the settlements, they will also be subject to a Wisconsin circuit court order requiring them to significantly alter how prescription opioids are distributed and administered.
Teva and Allergan have agreed to limit opioid marketing, promotion, sales, and distribution. The pharmacy chains will put into practice requirements addressing compliance structures and pharmacist judgment in line with materials produced by the state Justice Department.
State and municipal governments, Native American tribes, unions, hospitals, and other organizations have filed more than 3,000 lawsuits in state and federal courts about the harm caused by opioids. Most claim that during a crisis that has been connected to 500,000 American deaths over the past 20 years, the industry created a public nuisance.
In 2022, Wisconsin reached comparable agreements with four opioid industry players: Johnson & Johnson, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson.
