Walgreens Settles $683M Opioid Lawsuit With Florida

Walgreens Settles $683M Opioid Lawsuit With Florida

Introduction

The state of Florida has reached a $683 million settlement with the Walgreens pharmacy over a lawsuit that accuses the company of improper distribution of opioid painkillers that resulted in the opioid crisis.

The deal was finalized after four weeks of government evidence was presented at trial. The total count of the settlement amount to be allotted to the state of Florida is now $3 billion, which would be used to tackle opioid addiction and overdoses. Many other defendants have settled with the state, and Walgreens is the 12th and final defendant to make a settlement with Florida. As per the deal, the company will pay $620 million to the state over 18 years, and the attorneys will get $63 million as their fees.

The attorney general for Florida said in a news conference in Tampa that the state is ready to battle this manmade crisis of opioids and is glad to end the litigation. The company even denies all the wrongdoings accused as per the deal.

Earlier, McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc., Johnson & Johnson Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Corp. have paid millions of dollars in opioid settlements to Florida.

Sackler family-owned Purdue Pharma which makes OxyContin has an uncertain nationwide deal where the members of the family will pay $6 billion in cash as the opioid settlement. As per reports, a total of $45 billion payout has been approved nationwide since 2007 in all settlements, and civil and criminal penalties.

Over the past two decades, more than 500,000 deaths have been reported in the U.S. due to the opioid epidemic. OxyContin, generic oxycodone and drugs such as heroin and illegally produced fentanyl are to be blamed for this large number of deaths.