Shapiro: Most Pa. counties have joined opioid settlement

Dec. 30—More than 75% of Pennsylvania's counties have already signed on to settle a case against a few of the opioid industries' biggest players that would spread $1 billion across the state in the coming years.

That includes some of Pennsylvania's largest counties — including Allegheny, Chester and Montgomery — as well as Cambria, Bedford, Indiana and Somerset counties locally. But it does not yet include Philadelphia, whose district attorney has been at odds with Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro about the amount of money Pennsylvania's largest city would receive.

"This settlement is going to provide resources to jumpstart programs that will change lives and impact families across our commonwealth who are struggling to find treatment and help for those suffering with substance abuse," Shapiro said in a release that urged remaining counties to join in the settlement.

Shapiro's office listed 50 counties who have opted in — and while Somerset County wasn't on that list, county officials voted unanimously earlier this month to join in the settlement.

Somerset County would receive $2.9 million over the span of the settlement, which Somerset County Solicitor Michael Barbera said was undergoing his final review Wednesday.

Cambria County, which ranked among the highest in the state in overdose deaths per capita for several years, could receive up to $15 million. Cambria approved the deal last week.

The $26 billion global settlement involves Cardinal, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen — the nation's three major pharmaceutical distributors — and Johnson & Johnson, and it requires significant industry changes that will help prevent this type of crisis from happening again in addition to the funds, Shapiro said.

Funds distributed to counties could be used to expand opioid treatment, prevention, education and similar programs.

Shapiro's office has said counties have until January to sign onto the deal. The settlement total is dependent on the number of counties that sign on — which guarantees their payment through the settlement in return for the guarantee they won't sue individually.

Shapiro is pressing counties to settle. Some opioid-makers have gone bankrupt in recent years, and states that have continued pressing lawsuits have had mixed results in court. In California, a number of counties lost their cases after seven years in court, Shapiro said.

While there's no amount of money that can replace the lives opioids have stolen over the past 20 years, the deal will enable communities to prevent future losses, he said.

"Continuing litigation is incredibly risky, as we've seen in Oklahoma, where a $465 million judgement was overturned by the state Supreme Court after being on appeal for years," he said. "We can't afford to wait — we need these funds flowing into our communities now."