Across Missouri, drug overdose deaths increased 17% from 2019 to 2020, according to the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.
“The nationwide recovery from the opioid epidemic starts in our local communities,” County Executive Sam Page
In 2020, 1,842 people lost their lives to drug overdose, roughly five deaths a day. Opioid-involved drug overdose deaths represent the majority (73%) of total drug overdose deaths in Missouri.
Officials hope a recently announced opioid settlement could help reduce the number of overdoses.
The Missouri Attorney General’s Office announced a settlement with several opioid distributors including McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and with drug maker Johnson & Johnson.
Missouri will receive $458 million to cover the cost of drug treatment and prevention programs as part of the settlement, according to a news release from Attorney General Eric Schmitt.
In order to obtain the full amount of the settlement, the attorney general’s office was required to get all Missouri’s counties to sign on.
All 114 counties in the state have agreed to the settlement. In return, they agree to drop individual suits against the companies for their role in the opioid epidemic, according to St. Louis Public Radio.
“This is a major moment, but this is just the start. St. Louis County has cases against other defendants in the opioid industry and we will continue our tireless pursuit for justice and accountability on behalf of our residents and those statewide impacted by the opioid epidemic,” County Executive Sam Page said in a statement. “The nationwide recovery from the opioid epidemic starts in our local communities.
Page called St. Louis County’s prescription drug monitoring program, a statewide resource and “the only county-level PDM program in the country.”
“This settlement ensures funds will go directly to the community programs with proven track records of supporting recovery efforts,” he said.
Schmitt said the money will go to help those suffering from addiction and provide needed resources to treatment centers and other support systems across the state.
“This money will provide desperately needed funding for treatment and recovery programs, as well as needed funding for law enforcement, drug courts, and other resources,” Schmitt said in a statement.
This settlement resolves legal claims against companies involved in the manufacture and distribution of opioids. Health advocates and treatment specialists have argued that the flood of opioids into the market resulted in the need for treatment centers and other opioid addiction resources.
Details released about the settlement show the three distributors – AmerisourceBergen, McKesson, Cardinal Health – collectively will pay up to $21 billion over 18 years. Johnson & Johnson will pay up to $5 billion over nine years with up to $3.7 billion coming during the first three years.
In addition to the “base payments,” that Missouri will receive under the settlement agreements, there are “incentive payments” that the state can achieve by achieving a certain percentage of subdivision sign-ons.
Both term sheets were signed by the Attorney General, and the office has 120 days to achieve subdivision sign-on, according to a statement on the settlement website.
