Utah is slated to receive $57 million to mitigate the impact of the opioid crisis on its communities.
The Division of Consumer Protection sued Purdue Pharma, Richard Sackler and Kathe Sackler in 2019, saying the family manufactured opioid medications like OxyContin and aggressively marketed them as safe, despite knowing they were highly addictive.
The division also alleged that Purdue Pharma intensified the crisis in Utah by providing nearly $200,000 in gifts and payments to Utah prescribers between 2013 and 2017 and employing 186 sales representatives who conducted in-person marketing visits to 5,000 prescribers.
Under the terms of the settlement, the Sackler family will pay $6.5 billion over the next 15 years, with approximately $900 million coming from Purdue Pharma upon its emergence from bankruptcy protection.
In addition to the $57 million, Utah will also receive $540 million from other previously agreed-upon settlements with $275 million designated for the state and $265 million for counties.
The settlement funds will support the Utah Opioid Task Force and continue addressing the epidemic across the state.
