Mecklenburg County Taking Applications For Opioid Settlement Money
Mecklenburg County is taking applications for ways to use its part of the $56 billion nationwide opioid settlement.
The funds will come from several pharmaceutical distributors and manufacturers following a class-action suit filed by a coalition of state attorneys general. North Carolina’s portion of that money amounts to around $1.5 billion. Mecklenburg County’s share is $6 million.
Local organizations that fight the opioid crisis can apply for grants at mecknc.gov. The application period is open through August 15.
“Any nonprofit organization in our community that does services around opioid abuse, prevention, recovery, treatment — all of those organizations should put their hat in the ring for these dollars,” Mecklenburg county manager Dena Diorio told Spectrum News. “The long-term goal is a few-fold. One is to prevent future overdose and death. We want to prevent further addiction in our community. And we want to provide services to the people who need treatment, who need housing, who need recovery support,” she said.
In 2021, nationwide settlements were reached to settle litigation brought by states and local governments against the three largest pharmaceutical distributors. Those companies included McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen. In late 2022, agreements were announced with three pharmacy chains — CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart, along with two additional manufacturers—Allergan and Teva. In addition to providing billions of dollars for abatement, the settlements also impose changes in the way opioids manufacturers and distributors conduct business.
