As a result of AG Ferguson’s lawsuit, Teva begins delivery of more than 54,000 free naloxone kits to Washington

Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that the first of more than 54,000 naloxone overdose reversal kits started arriving in Washington. The kits will be available for free to Washingtonians as 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 is sending the 54,120 kits to Washington in quarterly shipments over the next two years. Each kit contains two small nasal spray devices that rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. The first shipment of 6,765 kits arrived on Monday.

The Department of Health will distribute the kits through the statewide mail-order naloxone program, which allows individuals to order a free kit with no shipping costs. The program, managed by the People’s Harm Reduction Alliance, helps make naloxone available in rural and remote regions of the state, where access to naloxone is limited, or for individuals who have privacy concerns about to access naloxone in their community. More information about the free mail-order program is available here.

“These kits will save lives,” Ferguson said. “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.”

Washingtonians do not need formal training to carry or administer naloxone. The health department has online written and video instructions about how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose, including how to administer naloxone, here.

Beyond the mail-order program, the health department uses funds recovered from the Attorney General’s opioids litigation to increase and support its broader Overdose Education & Naloxone Distribution Program, including:

• Providing assistance and training to approximately 600 community organizations across the state on overdose education and how to distribute naloxone in their communities.
• Providing naloxone to groups that work with individuals at highest risk of witnessing or experiencing opioid overdose — like syringe service programs, jail release programs, street outreach programs, first-responders, public libraries, schools and some housing programs.

$1.29 billion and counting

The Washington Attorney General’s Office’s total recoveries directed to funding programs that will combat the opioid and fentanyl epidemic is now more than $1.29 billion, with multiple ongoing and active cases against other drug companies still pending. Ferguson directed approximately half of these resources to local governments in Washington and the other half to the Legislature. Ferguson insisted on terms in the court orders that require all of these resources to be used to combat the fentanyl and opioid crisis in Washington.

Washingtonians can use this chart to see what their local government will receive from the $1.29 billion as a result of the Attorney General’s litigation to combat the opioid epidemic.

Opioid lawsuits resources fund other state agency programs

This year the Legislature appropriated to state agencies more than $52.3 million recovered from previous resolutions with opioid companies to fund programs that will combat the opioid epidemic. The appropriations overall 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 more than $110 million since 2023.

Highlights from this year’s spending include:

• $4,458,000 is provided to the Department of Corrections for health care services, with $2,700,000 specifically for approved long-term injectable medication for treatment of opioid use disorder of incarcerated individuals.
• $2,000,000 is provided to the Health Care Authority for a tribal opioid prevention campaign.
• $400,000 is provided to increase support for EMS and fire department opioid overdose prevention efforts.
• $3,000,000 is provided to establish three additional health engagement hub pilot program sites, and $1,500,000 is provided to establish high-intensity community-based teams serving people with opioid use disorder. 

Other resolutions

Successful outcomes include:

• $518 million from distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen.
• $183 million from manufacturer Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family bankruptcy.
• $149.5 million from Johnson & Johnson.
• $120.3 million from Walgreens.
• $110.6 million from CVS.
• $62.6 million from Walmart.
• $50 million from Allergan.
• $47.5 million from Kroger.
• $13.5 million from McKinsey, a consulting firm that advised Purdue Pharma.
• $7.9 million from Publicis Health.
• $7.7 million from the Mallinckrodt bankruptcy.

Ferguson has rejected national settlements with five corporations, netting Washington more than $180 million more for resources that will improve treatment options, funds for first responders and provide other proven strategies to address the epidemic.

In 2022, Ferguson reached a resolution, pending bankruptcy court approval, 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. That 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.

Original source can be found here.