WACO, TX — Texas is getting more than $1 billion as part of a settlement from a massive opioid lawsuit.
The basis of that lawsuit: Big pharmacy companies overlooking or ignoring the massive amount of pills dished out through pharmacies for decades.
Each company is accused of not tracking the number of pills their pharmacies are ordering. Lawmakers across the aisle said it contributes to the larger opioid epidemic.
McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen the three pharmacies accused of exacerbating the opioid crisis by overlooking the number of opioid pills that pharmacies ordered in the past two decades.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said a chunk of that settlement is coming to the lone star state.
The money is geared towards outreach: Funding opioid treatment, prevention, and education. The plan is to also create a system to track and report drug shipments.
On top of the $1.167 billion, the state is also getting $75 million worth of Narcan.
