LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — More money is coming to Nevada to help battle the prescription opioid epidemic.
On Friday, Nevada Attorney General announced that Publicis Health has agreed to paying states $350 million to settle a lawsuit over opioids. Of that $350 million, Nevada is set to receive $4,122,056.40.
As part of the terms of the settlement, Publicis has agreed to recognize the harm the company caused and to disclose thousands of internal documents on a public website, detailing their work for opioid companies like Purdue Pharma.
According to a press release, a consent judgment states Publicis was Purdue's agency of record for all its branded opioid drugs, including OxyContin, and they developed sales tactics that relied on using data from recordings of personal health-related, in-officer conversations between patients and providers.
The company also agreed to stop accepting work related to opioid-based Schedule II or Schedule III controlled substances.
Ford's office states that to date, Nevada has received $1.1 billion to remediate the harms caused by the opioid epidemic.
CONTINUING COVERAGE:
- Nevada Attorney General announces $193 million opioid settlement with Teva Pharmaceuticals
- Nevada secures $152 million opioid settlement with pharmacy chain CVS
- Walgreens settles opioid epidemic case, pays $285 million to state of Nevada
Meantime, Clark County is using some of the money from the opioid settlement fund to create additional resources to help those battling addiction.
According to the Southern Nevada Health District, from Jan. 2018 to July 2022, 1,412 people died from opioid-related overdose deaths in Clark County and police said they've been tracking a spike in fentanyl overdoses and deaths related to xylazine, which is also a horse tranquilizer.
Last June, commissioners approved plans for an opioid treatment center.
The facility would be located on 14.3 acres of land that is west of Bessley Drive and north of Las Vegas Boulevard, near Nellis Air Force Base and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The project is expected to cost about $150 million and at least $64 million would be coming from the opioid settlement fund. However, all of that money won't be coming in at one time.
"We initially identified opioid settlement dollars and we have additional settlements over longer periods of time, which will help sustain that, but they're not necessarily received in total in year one. Some of those are over a 15-year period, so that's all being incorporated into this process," county manager Kevin Schiller said in September.
Further details about designs, plans, and costs for the facility are set to be presented at a later date.
