Opioid Settlement: Assessing State Response Using Guiding Principles

The opioid litigation against pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies is one of the most complex multi-district settlements of all time. States, cities, and counties will soon be receiving funds as a result of litigation brought against these companies for their role in the opioid epidemic that has claimed more than half a million lives over the past two decades.

States and localities are tasked with the responsibility of spending the settlement dollars on evidence-based opioid abatement strategies, but many are understaffed and under-resourced, and will face difficult decisions in determining the best use of the funds. For these reasons, the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health has created the following five guiding principles to help states in this process:
1. Spend money to save lives.
2. Use evidence to guide spending.
3. Invest in youth prevention.
4. Focus on racial equity.
5. Develop a fair and transparent process for deciding where to spend the funding.

Shatterproof is working with states to implement these principles through legislation and partnership with local governments. The team at JHU is working with a robust coalition to develop key indicators for each principle, so there will be concrete steps for states to embed these principles into their infrastructure supporting substance use disorder services. Shatterproof is using these indicators to assess how states are adhering to the principles. Presenters intend to discuss additional ways that states and localities can collaborate to ensure the settlement dollars go toward evidence-based solutions to the addiction crisis.