CVS and Walgreens , Agree to Pay a Combined , $10.7 Billion Opioid Crisis Settlement .
NBC reports that CVS and Walgreens will pay
$10.7 billion to settle allegations that the pharmacies
failed to adequately oversee prescriptions for opioids.
NBC reports that CVS and Walgreens will pay
$10.7 billion to settle allegations that the pharmacies
failed to adequately oversee prescriptions for opioids.
The funds will go towards
opioid crisis abatement
and remediation programs.
Funds will reportedly be distributed among
various state and local governments
and federally recognized tribes. .
NBC reports that CVS will pay $4.9 billion
to states and political subdivisions,
in addition to $130 million to tribes.
Meanwhile, Walgreens will pay out
$4.95 billion, on top of over $750 million
in fees for attorneys and costs.
In addition to fines, both pharmacies will also implement
controlled substance compliance programs to review
opioid prescriptions and provide mandatory training.
The opioid epidemic has tragically
affected too many Illinois families
that have experienced addiction
or even the death of a loved one, Kwame Raoul, Illinois Attorney General, via NBC.
This $10.7 billion settlement with Walgreens
and CVS builds upon the important progress
we’ve already achieved with previous
settlements, but more importantly,
it holds both companies accountable, Kwame Raoul, Illinois Attorney General, via NBC.
NBC reports that the overdose
death rate from opioids tripled
between 2011 and 2020.
In 2011, the nonprofit State Health Access
Data Assistance Center found 7.3 deaths
per 100,000 people were opioid related.
By 2020, that number had
climbed to 21.4 deaths
per 100,000 people