cbaker_admin
Wed, 08/19/2020 – 05:30
As months of negotiations drag on, states are asking pharmaceutical giants to contribute an estimated $26.4 billion toward healing the hurt caused by America’s opioid crisis. The new demand came Monday from about a dozen state attorneys general (AGs), who want $21.14 billion from McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen Corp. plus $5.28 billion from Johnson & Johnson. The distributors are under fire for alleged inaction on suspicious orders of opioids that were diverted for inappropriate use, while Johnson & Johnson makes some opioids. Settlement discussions led by four states last fall proposed that the distributors pay $18 billion over 18 years with J&J adding $4 billion to the pot. Many AGs, however, wanted a bigger payout. Others yet are skipping settlement talks in favor of litigation. More than 3,000 states, local governments, and Native American tribes have sued pharmaceutical players for their role in the opioid crisis. At least 400,000 Americans have suffered fatal opioid overdoses since 1999, per federal data. The lawsuits aim to recover subsequent costs borne by affected communities, including burdens on emergency services, medical care, and foster services for children born to addicted parents.
