LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — Kentucky has reached its next victory in its fight against the opioid epidemic.
Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced the drug companies that helped fuel the epidemic will pay $17.3 billion, which is expected to reach state and local governments by the end of 2023.
“I have repeatedly called the drug epidemic the public health challenge of our lifetime—and I mean it,” said Attorney General Cameron. “While nothing can bring back the lives and livelihoods lost to the opioid epidemic, I hope these settlements will give Kentuckians some relief and help prevent a crisis like this from ever happening again.”
The settlements require Teva, a pharmaceutical company, to institute programs that will, among other things, prevent opioid marketing and ensure systems are in place to prevent opioid misuse. Additionally, Allergan, a pharmaceutical company, must not sell opioids for the next 10 years. CVS and Walgreens have agreed to monitor, report, and share data about suspicious activity related to opioid prescriptions.