LTTLE ROCK — Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge announced Thursday she would direct restricted opioid settlement dollars totaling over $140 million to the general revenue in anticipation of the upcoming 94th General Assembly in January 2023. The settlement funds allocated to Arkansas are a result of Rutledge’s long-fought legal battles with opioid manufacturers and distributors.
“Arkansas has been a national leader in our multifaceted approach to this epidemic and we have made tremendous strides in the last eight years, but we must get these funds to the Legislature where the money will be used to help Arkansans in desperate need of resources to combat this epidemic,” said Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. “Arkansas is anticipating almost one-half billion dollars to come to the state. Arkansans combating addiction must have access to affordable treatment options in every corner of our State and the General Assembly is best equipped to ensure the needs of their respective communities are met.”
In early 2017, Attorney General Rutledge took an aggressive approach to protecting Arkansans and combating the epidemic by suing manufacturers Johnson & Johnson, Purdue Pharma, and Endo Pharmaceuticals for violations of the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (ADTPA), public nuisance, unjust enrichment, civil conspiracy, and the Arkansas Medicaid Fraud False Claims Act. She also filed a lawsuit against distributors Cardinal Health, McKesson Corporation, and AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation for violations of the ADTPA, negligence, creation of a public nuisance, and being unjustly enriched by their business practices. This litigation was settled in early 2022.
Rutledge has settled or is in the process of settling with: CVS Health Corporation, Walgreens, McKinsey, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Walmart, and Mallinckrodt for their contributions to the opioid epidemic.
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