MEDIA, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Pennsylvania will receive more than $1 billion of an opioid settlement by three major pharmaceutical distributors for their roles in creating and fueling the opioid epidemic. Every Pennsylvania county will receive part of the settlement.
Philadelphia and its surrounding counties will receive $375 million in the settlement. The money will be used for opioid remediation programs and initiatives.
The commonwealth will receive part of a global $26 billion opioid settlement. The way the state’s $1 billion will be spread to its 67 counties will vary. Factors being weighed include overdose deaths, opioid use disorder hospitalizations, naloxone administration, and percentage of opioid shipments.
Philadelphia will receive about $200 million of settlement money, while Delaware County will get about $60 million.
"Opioid abuse has stolen lives,” said Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor.
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“There is no amount of money that can ever account for the lives that opioids have taken and ruined, but we can use these settlement funds to educate residents, with the focus on prevention and recovery and [working] to tackle the scourge of opioids, opioid abuse that has caused devastation in our community.”
Dr. Taylor said her county will receive average annual payments of about $3.5 million for 18 years.
“Delaware County was the first county in the state to sue for damages against 11 major drug suppliers of opioids and their consulting physicians,” said Dr. Taylor.
“Delaware County has formed an interdepartmental and interdisciplinary task force to provide recommendations to County Council for short-term, immediate uses and long-term programming that can be supported by the funding.”
She said the task force would collaborate with medical professionals on the Delaware County Board of Health and experts in recovery to access community needs. They would also work on addressing racial disparities surrounding opioid use with the county’s diversity, equity and inclusion officer.
Chester County is getting around $20 million, Montgomery County receives approximately $45 million, and Bucks County gets more than $50 million.
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