Drugstore chains are increasingly being targeted by states that are believed to be lax in oversight that say fuel high addiction rates.
Walgreens Boots Alliance, which owns a chain of retail pharmacies, has reached a $683 million settlement with Florida to settle claims aggravated opioid epidemic in the state.
The settlement ends a trial that began last month, after Walgreens decided not to enter into a combined $878 million agreement in the state with four other healthcare companies.
To date, Florida has recovered more than $3 billion in opioid litigation according to Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody.
It will spend most of the money on efforts to mitigate the opioid crisis in the state.
“I’m glad we were able to wrap up this epic litigation and move through the courtroom,” Moody’s said at a news conference Thursday.
The most recent payment includes $620 million due to Florida over 18 years, plus $63 million in legal fees.
Walgreens did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement, which stemmed from accusations that the company minimized the risk of addiction and overdose and was lax in monitoring where it was used. drug use.
The case revolved around allegations that when Walgreens distributed more than 4.3 billion opioid pills in Florida between May 2006 and June 2021, more than half of the prescriptions contained one or more recognizable signs of abuse, fraud and addiction that the company should be aware of. and acted.
Prior to the settlement, Walgreens had argued that it would not be sued based on the $3,000 settlement it reached with Florida in 2012.
Florida called Walgreens’ position “absurd,” according to court records, saying the 2012 settlement only addressed a single record-keeping violation.
CVS Health Corp previously agreed to a settlement with Florida for $484 million, while Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, the Allergan unit of Abbvie Inc and Endo International Plc have agreed to pay $194.8 million, $134.2 million and $65 million respectively.
All were denied wrongdoing.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the nationwide opioid crisis has resulted in more than 500,000 drug overdose deaths over the past two decades.
More than 3,300 lawsuits have been filed against those believed to be responsible for the crisis.
While many manufacturers and distributors of initially targeted drugs, states have also increasingly targeted pharmacies.
Last November, a jury in a federal court in Ohio Find Walmart, CVS Health Corp and Walgreens Boots Alliance were guilty of fueling the crisis by failing to properly monitor opioid prescriptions.
On Tuesday, Washington state achieved a 518 million dollar settlement with opioid distributors McKesson Corp, AmerisourceBergen Corp and Cardinal Health, ending a months-long trial of the companies’ alleged roles in the opioid crisis.
