This browser does not support the Video element.
Florida reaches opioid settlement with Walgreens
Aaron Mesmer reports
TAMPA, Fla. - Walgreens is set to pay $683 million to Florida in a settlement for its role in the opioid crisis.
Attorney General Ashley Moody announced the settlement Thursday morning, saying the deal was struck after four weeks of government evidence was presented at trial. Walgreens is the 12th and final defendant to settle with Florida, with the settlement bringing the total amount secured from pharmaceutical companies to more than $3 billion.
PREVIOUS: Florida vs. Walgreens: Trial over deadly opioid crisis takes center stage in Pasco County courtroom
She says the funds will be paid out over the next two decades and will fund treatment and prevention in communities hit the hardest by opioids.
"This has been a long, hard-fought battle," Moddy said during her press conference Thursday. "The result of this historic settlement of funds will have far-reaching effects across this state and beyond the Tampa Bay region."
Walgreens, based in Deerfield, Illinois, said in a statement that the company did not admit wrongdoing in the deal. Walgreens operates more than 9,000 stores in all 50 states, according to the company website. About 820 of those locations are in Florida.
The lawsuit accused five of the nation’s largest opioid manufacturers and four distributors of causing the crisis responsible for killing 15 Floridians each day.
The state later named Walgreens Co. and CVS Pharmacy Inc. and CVS Health Corp. as defendants in the case.
In advance of the jury trial in Pasco County, Florida reached settlements with all of the defendants except Walgreens.
This browser does not support the Video element.
Previous: Florida takes Walgreens to court in opioid case
Justin Matthews reports.
Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office previously announced that the state had struck deals totaling more than $870 million with CVS and two drug manufacturers, leaving Walgreens as the lone holdout in the case.
Florida's case against Walgreens hinged on accusations that as the drugstore chain dispensed more than 4.3 billion total opioid pills in the state from May 2006 to June 2021, more than half contained one or more easily recognized red flags for abuse, fraud and addiction that the company should have noticed and acted upon.
The opioid epidemic has been linked to more than 500,000 deaths in the U.S. over the past two decades, counting those from prescription painkillers such as OxyContin and generic oxycodone as well as illicit drugs such as heroin and illegally produced fentanyl.
In the same case, CVS Health Corp. and CVS Pharmacy Inc. agreed to pay the state $484 million. Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. agreed to pay $195 million and Allergan PLC more than $134 million.
Florida has previously obtained millions of dollars in opioid settlements involving McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc., Johnson & Johnson Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Corp.
The News Service of Florida and the Associated Press contributed to this report.