Prairie State Wire

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, today announced a bipartisan set of settlements worth $17.3 billion as a result of agreements with drug makers Teva and Allergan, and pharmacies CVS and Walgreens. Following successful state sign-on and subdivision sign-on periods, the companies committed to the deals and will start releasing funds to states later this summer.

As a result of the settlements negotiated by Raoul’s office, Illinois will receive approximately $518 million over 15 years. National investigations and litigation against the pharmaceutical industry over the opioid crisis have led to more than $50 billion in settlements with Illinois’ share at more than $1.3 billion.

“I am proud of the bipartisan work that has resulted in this $17.3 billion set of settlements with Teva, Allergan, CVS and Walgreens. These agreements build upon the important progress we’ve already achieved through previous settlements, as we continue working to hold responsible companies accountable,” Raoul said. “The opioid epidemic has tragically affected too many Illinois families that have experienced addiction or even the death of a loved one. I will continue to ensure that resources Illinois receives through settlements are distributed equitably throughout the state to help fund services needed to mitigate the ongoing opioid crisis.”

The settlements will also require Teva’s opioid business to abide by stringent prohibitions that will prevent all opioid marketing and ensure systems are in place to prevent drug misuse. Additionally, Allergan is required to stop selling opioids for the next 10 years. CVS and Walgreens have agreed to an order that requires the pharmacies to monitor, report and share data about suspicious activity related to opioid prescriptions, which will help ensure a crisis like the opioid addiction epidemic does not happen again. A future agreement with Walmart is anticipated in the coming weeks.

These settlements are the latest of Attorney General Raoul’s ongoing efforts to combat the opioid epidemic and hold accountable companies whose deceptive practices increased opioid prescriptions at the expense of public health. They come after multiple national settlements Raoul’s office reached last year.

Once the settlement goes into effect, funds to Illinois will be allocated according to the Illinois Opioid Allocation Agreement that Raoul previously reached with state’s attorneys.

In 2021, Raoul’s office negotiated the Illinois Opioid Allocation Agreement. The agreement is intended to ensure the approximately $760 million Illinois will receive through the historic national $26 billion opioid settlement agreement with the nation’s three major pharmaceutical distributors and Johnson & Johnson, and these additional opioid settlements, are allocated equitably, including to counties and eligible municipalities. The majority of Illinois’ money will go to the Illinois Remediation Fund to be used for abatement programs throughout the state.

Attorney General Raoul’s office negotiated the Teva and Allergan settlements with the attorneys general of California, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin. Raoul’s office negotiated the CVS and Walgreens settlements with California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Texas.

Attorney General Raoul urges anyone who believes they or a loved one may be addicted to opioids to seek help by calling the Illinois Helpline for Opioids and Other Substances at 833-2FINDHELP, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Original source can be found here.