Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul Friday announced the final approval of $17.3 billion in opioid agreements with drug makers Teva and Allergan and pharmacies CVS and Walgreens. The drug makers and pharmacies will start releasing funds to a national administrator later this summer and money is expected to start flowing to state and local governments by the end of 2023. Kaul says “The opioid crisis has resulted in harm to countless people, and those who fueled the crisis must be held accountable.,”” The settlements will also require Teva to stop all opioid marketing and ensure systems are in place to prevent drug misuse. Allergan is required to stop selling opioids for the next 10 years. CVS and Walgreens have agreed to monitor, report, and share data about suspicious activity related to opioid prescriptions. A final agreement with Walmart is anticipated in the coming weeks. Wisconsin will receive nearly $277 million over 15 years. Wisconsin’s share so far is over $764 million.
