Ohio Will Receive Up to $1B in Opioid Settlement

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost recently announced that major drug companies have agreed to pay states $26 billion in a settlement over the opioid epidemic; Ohio will receive up to $1 billion. 

The nationwide agreement between the three largest distributors of opioids–Cardinal, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen–and manufacturer Johnson & Johnson also requires these companies to take steps to prevent a similar crisis from happening again, according to the Attorney General's office. 

Governor Mike DeWine initiated the lawsuits against the companies while he was Ohio Attorney General and he applauded the settlement, saying it has the "potential to help Ohioans turn the corner" in the battle against opioids. 

Ohio's potential $1.02 billion will come from up to $829 from the distributors and up to $197 from Johnson & Johnson. The actual amount depends on participation from the state's political subdivisions. The final totals each state will receive were determined by an agreement among states using a formula that considers population and the impact of the opioid crisis, the AG's office said.

From 2010 to 2019, more than 23,700 Ohioans died of opioid overdoses.