By Kate Klimesh,
At the April 3 County Supervisor meeting, Winneshiek County Attorney Andy Van Der Maaten relayed to the supervisors that further payments from the national and state case against opioid producers and distributors settlement would be forthcoming. He noted to date, the county had received $61,851 in opioid settlement funds.
The State of Iowa along with other states settled claims that certain prescription drug companies and pharmaceutical distributors engaged in misleading and fraudulent conduct in the marketing and sale of opioids and failed to monitor for, detect and prevent diversion of the drugs.
The county also settled the same claims and related claims. Due to its settlement of these claims, the county will receive payments from the defendant companies over the next 17 years. The county is required to use these funds for activities to remediate the opioid crisis and treat or mitigate opioid use disorder and related disorders through prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services.
According to settlement allocations found on the Iowa Auditor website, Winneshiek County should receive a total of $53,116.89 from Janssen through 2032; $230,118.45 from distributors through 2039; and a $2,085.60 payment from Mallinckrodt. Further settlements are open for states to opt in involving CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart – and two additional manufacturers, Allergan and Teva.
Settlement funds have a restricted use to reverse opioid overdose, as well as treat, prevent and support addiction recovery and opioid disorder services for those affected by opioid addiction. Prevention of over-prescribing and over-dispensation of opioids as well as first-responder training and education are also allowable expenses for the funds.
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