State Receives $10 million in Opioid Crisis Settlement
Consulting firm McKinsey & Company paying out $573 million to 47 states and D.C.
![Pills by Tom Varco (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.](https://urbanmilwaukee.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/1024px-Lexapro_pills.jpg)
Pills by Tom Varco (Own work) (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.
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
- A Medication Rescue for Opioid Overdoses - Corri Hess - Feb 22nd, 2021
- State Receives $10 million in Opioid Crisis Settlement - Jenny Peek - Feb 5th, 2021
- AG Kaul, Gov Evers Announce $573 Million Multistate Agreement with McKinsey & Company for “Turbocharging” the Opioid Epidemic with Purdue Pharma - Josh Kaul - Feb 4th, 2021
- Gov. Evers, DHS Announce Nearly $9 Million Awarded for Drug Treatment Services - Gov. Tony Evers - Jan 14th, 2021
- AG Kaul, Bipartisan AGs Push FDA to Examine Progress in Opioid Fight - Josh Kaul - Jan 11th, 2021
- Milwaukee County Surpasses Last Year’s Record Overdose Deaths - Edgar Mendez - Nov 27th, 2020
- Overdose Responders Struggle Against Rising Deaths - Edgar Mendez - Nov 20th, 2020
- Wisconsin Drug Take Back Collection 1st in the Country; Collects Nearly 90,000 lbs. of Unwanted Medications to Fight the Opioid Epidemic - Josh Kaul - Nov 9th, 2020
- Gov. Evers, DSPS Secretary-designee Crim Announce Wisconsin Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Awarded Nearly $2 Million Grant - Gov. Tony Evers - Nov 2nd, 2020
- AG Kaul Announces Updated Settlement with Opioid Manufacturer Mallinckrodt - Josh Kaul - Oct 13th, 2020
Read more about Opioid Crisis here