Oregon, Washington to get millions of dollars from Purdue Pharma settlement

Oregon and Washington are set to get tens of millions of dollars from a national settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family over their roles in the opioid crisis.

The deal follows an earlier settlement that was appealed by attorneys general from Oregon, Washington, six other states and the District of Columbia. Their lawsuit challenged the company’s bankruptcy plan.

“We didn’t think, first of all, that it gave enough money to the states,” Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum told OPB. “And we also felt like the terms of the bankruptcy were insufficient and that it got the Sacklers completely off the hook as individuals, who, by the way, did not themselves declare bankruptcy.”

The states’ challenge added $1.2 billion to the original settlement. Overall, $97 million will go to Oregon and $183 million will go to Washington; all of that money will go toward addiction treatment and prevention in those states.

Oregon will also receive another $329 million from a late February settlement with three opioid distributors — McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health — as well as drug manufacturer Johnson & Johnson. Rosenblum says much of that money will go to cities and counties to use on local addiction programs.