Ashley Moody, Florida Attorney General, announced that CVS Health Corp. (CVS Pharmacy Inc.) will pay $484 million to the state. Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. has agreed to pay $195 Million and Allergan PLC, more than $134 Million.
Tevan will also provide Florida with $84 million worth of Narcan nasal spray, which is used to treat overdose victims. Moody stated that Endo Health Solutions will also settle for $65 million.
Moody stated in a press release that the opioid epidemic was wreaking havoc upon Florida families. “The funds obtained from CVS and Teva, Allergan, Endo and Allergan will aid us in our efforts to alleviate the suffering and harm done to Floridians,” Moody said.
Moody said that the money from CVS will be split between Florida’s cities and counties. These areas were plagued by opioid overdoses, and illegal drug use, during the “pill-mill” epidemic of a decade. The money must be used to address the opioid crisis.
Over the past 20 years, the opioid epidemic has been associated with more than 500,000 deaths in America. This includes those who died from prescription painkillers like OxyContin or generic oxycodone. It also includes illicit drugs like heroin and illegally manufactured fentanyl.
State and local governments filed thousands against drug distributors and manufacturers in the 2010s to hold them responsible. While a few cases went to trial, many others have settled, especially in the last year.
Only Walgreens Co. is now a defendant in the Florida settlements. The lawsuit will be tried April 5th in Pasco County Circuit Court. Florida has received millions in opioid settlements involving McKesson Corp. (Card Health Inc.), Johnson & Johnson Inc., and AmerisourceBergen Corp.
The OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma has a tentative national deal that includes $6 Billion in cash from the members of the Sackler Family who own the company. Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson, as well as the distributors AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health, have reached settlements totaling $26 Billion.
Teva and Endo are two other drugmakers that have settled state-by-state just like they did in Florida.
According to the Associated Press, total settlements and civil and criminal penalties have reached more than $45 billion since 2007.
