Opioid Settlement

In August 2021, the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office joined the historic $26 billion multi-state settlement agreements with pharmaceutical distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen, and opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson. This settlement will bring more than $300 million to Minnesota counties and cities. Distributers have until 2038 to satisfy these requirements. All funds must be used for opioid mitigation activities including but not limited to; treatment, prevention, recovery. 

Freeborn County is expected to receive $1,313,540.42, but it will take over 18 years to get the full amount. The funds that are given can be rolled over and they don’t have to be spent in the current year. 

Here is a link that shows how much each county in the state of Minnesota will get. There is a column that shows Distributors and Johnson & Johnson and another column with a Second Wave Settlements.

The Minnesota Opioid State – Subdivision Memorandum of Agreement identifies Opioid Remediation uses including:

Part One: Treatment

• Treat opioid use disorder 
• Support people in treatment and recovery
• Connections to care
• Address needs of criminal justice involved persons
• Address needs of the perinatal population, caregivers and families, including babies with opioid withdrawal syndrome

Part Two: Prevention 

• Prevent over – prescribing and ensure appropriate prescribing and dispensing of opioids
• Prevent misuse of opioids
• Prevent overdose deaths and other harms (harm reduction)

Part Three: Other Strategies 

• First Responders
• Leadership, planning, and coordination 
• Training
• Research
• Post-mortem