EVERETT — Snohomish County and its cities are expected to secure more than $50 million under settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors to fight the ongoing drug crisis.
Across Washington, settlements from lawsuits involving pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies that helped fuel the epidemic now total over $1.1 billion from 11 companies. Half of the money will go to the state and the other half to local governments.
These settlements included one for $518 million for the state from three of the biggest opioid distributors, McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp.
Most recently, the state is set to get more than $60 million from a settlement with Walmart. The company was accused of contributing to the crisis by being negligent in offering opioid prescriptions through its pharmacies.
Nearly all of the funds are expected to be available within months to local governments. Money from earlier settlements will come in installments over the next 10 to 20 years. In addition to the settlement dollars, “Walmart will tightly monitor opioid prescriptions and prevent patients from seeking multiple prescriptions,” according to the state Attorney General’s Office.
Across all the settlements, Snohomish County and its cities expect to receive $51 million to battle the effects of opioid addiction. Governments can use the money to support first responders, distribute supplies like naloxone that can prevent overdoses and provide temporary housing for people struggling with substance use disorder.
As part of its settlement, Teva Pharmaceuticals agreed to give the state 54,120 overdose-reversing naloxone kits within the next two years.
Local governments will have authority in deciding how to use their share of the settlement money, once it is distributed by the state.
Snohomish County and Everett are getting the biggest shares of money in the county.
Everett will get $8.3 million from multiple settlements. City spokesperson Simone Tarver said the payouts will be available to the city slowly over a span of 17 years.
Officials will also work alongside other cities to determine how to best use the money, Tarver said.
Arlington Mayor Barb Tolbert said the cities are waiting for direction from the county on how to move forward with a regional approach. Arlington’s total payment from the settlements is $1.1 million.
“No one city was isolated in having to deal with the opioid crisis,” she said.
Tolbert said the cities aren’t getting enough money to make a major difference on their own. While Arlington has funded programs to direct people toward treatment, she believes working with the county could further that work and sustain it.
“Here in Arlington, the community was hit hard by the opioid crisis,” she said. “We want to spend funds in a way that is meaningful.”
Earlier in the year, Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers released a “holistic plan” to spend the first $1.4 million of county settlement money. The county is expected to get a total payment of $29.8 million.
The plan would make naloxone more available to first responders and work to educate young people about the dangers of substance use disorder. It would also act to continue researching the depth of the crisis.
Last week, the county released its latest strategies and goals to combat the opioid epidemic using the settlement money. Goals include working with school superintendents on prevention education, training county staff to administer naloxone and investigating the feasibility of a mobile opioid treatment program.
Jenelle Baumbach: 360-352-8623; jenelle.baumbach@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @jenelleclar.
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