Michigan Municipalities Urged to Claim Opioid Settlement Funds
As a pivotal deadline looms, Michigan’s attorney general is calling on local governments to seize the opportunity to claim their share of significant opioid settlement funds. With a deadline set for October 8, local municipalities have limited time to secure these critical resources.
Across Michigan, 279 municipalities have the chance to tap into a portion of the state’s financial windfall from a national settlement amounting to $720 million. This settlement involves eight pharmaceutical companies, and Michigan stands to gain up to $24.5 million, according to the attorney general’s office.
Announced in July, these settlements bind eight opioid manufacturers to financial commitments ranging from nearly $15 million to approximately $285 million over future years. For more details, see the official announcement.
Additionally, seven manufacturers included in the settlement have agreed to cease all promotional activities related to opioids, refrain from making or selling products containing more than 40 mg of oxycodone per pill, and establish systems to monitor and report suspicious orders, as outlined by the Michigan Attorney General’s office.
Notably, Indivior, a company in the settlement, has pledged to halt the manufacturing or selling of opioid products over the next decade. However, it retains the ability to market and sell medications designed to treat opioid use disorder.
In total, Michigan is projected to receive nearly $1.6 billion from these settlements by 2040. The distribution of funds is structured so that half will benefit local governments directly, while the other half will enhance the state’s initiatives through the Michigan Opioid Healing and Recovery Fund.
The origins of these funds trace back to companies implicated in the creation, marketing, and distribution of opioids, including Johnson & Johnson (Janssen), Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, Allergan, Teva, Mallinckrodt, Meijer, Publicis Health, Kroger, and the consulting firm McKinsey & Company, among others.
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