Deerfield-Based Walgreens, CVS Part Of $17.3B Opioid Crisis Settlement

DEERFIELD, IL — Walgreens was one of the two pharmacies to be included in a $17.3 billion settlement that was reached and that will pay out $518 million to Illinois over the next 15 years in a bipartisan effort to curb the opioid crisis, officials recently announced.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced the settlements last week that was reached with drug makers Teva and Allergan along with pharmacies CVS and Walgreens. The companies committed to the deals and will start releasing funds later this summer, Raoul said in a news release.

National investigations and litigation against the pharmaceutical industry over the opioid crisis have led to more than $50 billion in settlements with Illinois’ share at more than $1.3 billion, Raoul said.

These agreements build upon the important progress we’ve already achieved through previous settlements, as we continue working to hold responsible companies accountable,” Raoul said in the news release. “The opioid epidemic has tragically affected too many Illinois families that have experienced addiction or even the death of a loved one. I will continue to ensure that resources Illinois receives through settlements are distributed equitably throughout the state to help fund services needed to mitigate the ongoing opioid crisis.”

The settlements will also require Teva’s opioid business to abide by stringent prohibitions that will prevent all opioid marketing and ensure systems are in place to prevent drug misuse, the news release said. Allergan is required to stop selling opioids for the next 10 years.

CVS and Walgreens have agreed to an order that requires the pharmacies to monitor, report and share data about suspicious activity related to opioid prescriptions, which will help ensure a crisis like the opioid addiction epidemic does not happen again. A future agreement with Walmart is anticipated in the coming weeks, Raoul said.

The recently announced settlements are the latest of Raoul’s ongoing efforts to combat the opioid epidemic and hold accountable companies whose deceptive practices increased opioid prescriptions at the expense of public health. They come after multiple national settlements Raoul’s office reached last year.