Mojave County to join nationwide litigation settlement against distributors allegedly playing pivotal role in opioid crisis as negotiations begin in cases of Teva Pharmaceuticals, Allergan, CVS, Walgreens and Walmart is.
The Mojave County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously agreed to join settlement talks with the companies as part of a potential settlement package totaling $18.5 million for all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. and other U.S. territories. decided.
The county and its local government will receive a total of $8 million in opioid settlements from two previous lawsuits related to the opioid crisis, according to Mojave County Financial Services Commissioner Luke Mounian. Settlements from opioid distributors such as Teva, Allergan, CVS, Walgreens and Walmart to Mojave County and other communities across the United States could be paid annually over the next 18 years.
Mouniang said this week, “We estimate it to be about $7.4 million or $7.5 million.” “The amount of money we can expect to receive is based largely on a tiered formula, so the more municipalities that participate, the bigger the payout. The aim is that the more governments across the country that participate, the more effective they will be in dealing with the epidemic.”
Mojave County was one of the Arizona communities hardest hit by the opioid epidemic nearly a decade ago. In 2016, at the height of the crisis, Arizona health officials reported that 127 opioid prescriptions were distributed for every 100 residents in Mojave County.
Since 2019, Mojave County has participated in the Arizona Attorney General’s One Arizona Plan. Under the agreement, Mojave County and other communities will use settlement proceeds from opioid-based lawsuits to educate the public, repair possible harm, or enforce laws related to substance abuse. can do.
A recent example of the use of that funding is illustrated by the Mojave County Jail’s “reach out” program, which was introduced last year at the prison. Under this program, county inmates charged with drug-related crimes are given access to education and services before they are released from prison to curb future recidivism related to such crimes. It is
The Mojave County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the county’s participation in settlement talks with Teva, Allergan, CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart at its board meeting in Kingman on February 21.
