State Receives $10 million in Opioid Crisis Settlement
Consulting firm McKinsey & Company paying out $573 million to 47 states and D.C.
The state Department of Health Services will receive more than $10.3 million — over five years — from the agreement, according to a press release from the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
The coalition of state attorneys general allege that McKinsey & Company is partly responsible for the opioid epidemic for helping manufacturers — including OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma — market their drugs for over a decade.
According to the release, “McKinsey advised Purdue on how to maximize profits from its opioid products, including targeting high-volume opioid prescribers, using specific messaging to get physicians to prescribe more OxyContin to more patients, and circumventing pharmacy restrictions in order to deliver high-dose prescriptions.”
From 1999 to 2019, 9,344 Wisconsinites died from an opioid overdose, according to the release.
“We’ve lost our family members, friends, and neighbors to the opioid epidemic, and so many Wisconsinites have had to experience the tragedy of this epidemic firsthand,” Gov. Tony Evers said in the release. “These funds will be critically important as we continue to help and support those working to overcome problem use of opioids and build on our work to end this tragic crisis.”
Thursday’s resolution is the latest action Kaul and the DOJ has taken to combat the opioid epidemic. In March 2019, the DOJ joined a multistate investigation of opioid distributors, and in May 2019, Kaul announced lawsuits filed against two Purdue Pharma entities and Richard S. Sackler for false marketing practices.
Consulting Firm To Pay State $10.3M For Their Role In Opioid Epidemic was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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More about the Opioid Crisis
- MKE County: County Offering $2.8 Million For Opioid Addiction Programs - Graham Kilmer - Mar 28th, 2024
- Senator Baldwin Calls on House to Pass Bill that Cracks Down on Fentanyl Traffickers - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Feb 15th, 2024
- Attorney General Josh Kaul announces $350 million settlement with marketing firm over its role in opioid epidemic - Wisconsin Department of Justice - Feb 1st, 2024
- Grants Will Fund Recovery Housing For Those Facing Homelessness and Battling Opioids - Margaret Faust - Jan 12th, 2024
- Baldwin Helps Advance Bipartisan Bill to Address Opioid and Fentanyl Crisis - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Dec 14th, 2023
- DHS and DOJ Announce Dose of Reality Roundtable Discussions on Wisconsin’s Opioid Epidemic - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Dec 6th, 2023
- Limited Supply of Narcan Prevents Milwaukee Groups From Saving Lives - Edgar Mendez - Dec 1st, 2023
- MUPD, Wisconsin Voices for Recovery partner to install Nalox-ZONE boxes on Marquette campus - Marquette University - Oct 12th, 2023
- MKE County: Drug Settlements Could Help Expand Opioid Addiction Programs - Graham Kilmer - Sep 21st, 2023
- DHS Awards Funding to Law Enforcement Agencies Working to Address the Opioid Epidemic - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Sep 21st, 2023
Read more about Opioid Crisis here