Walgreens To Pay Over $680M To Resolve Florida Opioid Litigation

Walgreens To Pay Over $680M To Resolve Florida Opioid Litigation: Florida’s Attorney General announced on May 5, 2022 that Walgreens has agreed to pay more than $680 million to resolve claims regarding its alleged involvement in the opioid crisis in Florida. Walgreens’ settlement follows a four-week court battle over its role in the opioid crisis. Walgreens is the 12th and final defendant in Florida’s case to hold major opioid distributors, manufacturers, and pharmaceutical companies accountable for fueling the opioid crisis. The total funds secured through litigation efforts by Florida are in excess of $3 billion.

A portion of the more than $680 million secured from Walgreens will be sent directly to Florida’s cities and counties. All these proceeds must be spent on opioid abatement, including prevention efforts, treatment, or recovery services. Florida’s Attorney General negotiated an allocation with these localities that ensures settlement proceeds will be spent on curbing the opioid epidemic. More than 240 subdivisions agreed to previous allocation deals as part of signing onto prior terms. The remainder of the monies in the agreement will go to pay fees and costs incurred by the State and by the cities and counties.

In March 2022, Florida’s Attorney General announced the securement of more than $870 million for opioid abatement from CVS Health Corporation, CVS Pharmacy, Inc., Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd., and Allergan PLC.

Florida previously participated in the nationwide multibillion-dollar opioid settlement with McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health, Inc., AmerisourceBergen Corp., and Johnson & Johnson, Inc. Florida will receive more than $1.6 billion from the settlement, which must be used for remediation. Florida finalized a settlement with McKinsey & Company for $40 million in February 2021.

In total, Florida has secured more than $3 billion for remediation, with much of the funds secured from the 12 defendants going to cities and counties to fund local abatement efforts.

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The settlement agreement specifically states, “Walgreens shall pay the sum of $683,000,000 into the Qualified Settlement Fund as specified in the Agreement (including Exhibit B), consisting of $620,000,000 to be allocated for opioid remediation, $34,000,000 to be available to reimburse State Litigation Costs, and $29,000,000 to be available to reimburse Litigating Subdivision Litigation Costs … The Parties’ Agreement provides that Subdivisions that elect to participate in the settlement by the Initial Participation Date and complete other requirements specified in the Agreement may be eligible to receive payment of a share of the Remediation Payment within a reasonable period after the Effective Date of the Agreement. The Parties’ Agreement further provides that Subdivisions that elect to participate in the settlement after the Initial Participation Date and complete other requirements specified in the Agreement may be eligible to receive payment of a share of the Remediation Payment within a reasonable period after the Post-Effective Date Sign-on Deadline.”

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