Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced the arrival of the first batch of more than 54,000 naloxone overdose reversal kits in Washington this week. The free distribution of these kits is a result of a December 2022 resolution in Ferguson’s lawsuit against Teva Pharmaceuticals for its role in fueling the opioid epidemic.
As part of the $90.7 million resolution, Teva will deliver 54,120 kits to Washington in quarterly shipments over the next two years. Each kit contains two small nasal spray devices that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. The first shipment comprised 6,765 kits.
The Department of Health will distribute these kits through the statewide mail-order naloxone program. This program allows individuals to order a free kit without any shipping costs and is managed by the People’s Harm Reduction Alliance. It aims to make naloxone available in rural and remote regions where access is limited or for individuals who have privacy concerns about accessing naloxone in their community.
“These kits will save lives,” said Ferguson. “Our lawsuits against opioids manufacturers are providing resources to combat the fentanyl and opioid crisis to every part of the state. These kits will make immediate impacts in that fight.”
No formal training is required for Washingtonians to carry or administer naloxone. The health department provides online written and video instructions on how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose, including how to administer naloxone.
Beyond this mail-order program, funds recovered from Attorney General’s opioids litigation are used by the health department to support its broader Overdose Education & Naloxone Distribution Program.
The total recoveries directed towards programs combating the opioid and fentanyl epidemic by the Washington Attorney General’s Office now exceed $1.29 billion, with multiple ongoing cases against other drug companies still pending. Approximately half of these resources have been directed towards local governments in Washington and the other half to the Legislature.
This year, state agencies received more than $52.3 million recovered from previous resolutions with opioid companies to fund programs combating the opioid epidemic. The appropriations included significant investments to increase access to opioid medication, assist tribal governments, support first responders and educate youth.
This brings the Legislature’s total appropriations from Ferguson’s opioid lawsuits to over $110 million since 2023.
Ferguson has rejected national settlements with five corporations, securing Washington more than $180 million for resources that will improve treatment options, provide funds for first responders and implement other proven strategies to address the epidemic.
In 2022, Ferguson reached a resolution requiring Purdue Pharma to pay $183 million to Washington — $113 million more than the national deal. Also in 2022, Ferguson’s case against the three largest opioid distributors — McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp. — led to a $518 million resolution. This was $46 million more for funding to combat the opioid epidemic than the national settlement promised. Ferguson's recent settlement with Johnson & Johnson was $24 million more for opioid abatement funding than the national settlement offer he rejected.