CVS and Walgreens have agreed to pay Maine millions of dollars as part of a $10.7 billion settlement of a lawsuit filed by more than a dozen states over the pharmacy chains’ contribution to the nation’s opioid crisis.
A multi-state coalition of attorneys general finalized agreements with CVS and Walgreens for their role in the crisis, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey said in a release Monday.
Maine’s maximum share of the settlements, including a recent agreement with Walmart, is estimated to be over $66 million, according to Frey. Walmart agreed to a settlement last month totaling $2.7 billion, with a maximum of $14 million going to Maine.
“Our communities have suffered tremendously,” Frey said. “These pharmacies must be held to account for their role, along with opioid manufacturers and distributors, in the devastation opioids have caused in Maine and across the country. While no amount of money can ever remedy the pain experienced by so many, I’m hopeful that a settlement could mean more funds for critical treatment, prevention and recovery efforts that can make a meaningful difference in lives across the state.”
In addition to the financial settlement, CVS and Walgreens have agreed to court-ordered injunctive relief that requires the pharmacies to monitor, report and share data about suspicious activity related to opioid prescriptions.
Maine and other states must agree to terms of the settlement by Dec. 31 to receive the funds.
Maine’s share of the settlement funds will depend on the level of participation by local governments. States stand to get bigger shares if more of their local governments agree to use the funds to fight the opioid crisis. Funds will be allotted based on communities’ populations and the severity of the crisis locally.
Nearly all the settlement funds must be used to remediate the opioid crisis, including prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery services.
Most of Walmart’s share will be paid beginning in late 2023. CVS’ payments will be spread over 10 years, and Walgreens’ over 15 years, Frey said.
Settlement negotiations were led by AGs from North Carolina, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Texas.
Opioids have been linked to more than 500,000 deaths in the U.S. in the past two decades, most occurring in recent years, according to the Associate Press. The drugs responsible for the bulk of the deaths have shifted from prescription painkillers to illicitly produced fentanyl, which is often mixed into other street drugs.
In the past decade or so, state and local governments filed thousands of lawsuits seeking to hold the drug industry accountable for the crisis.
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