Arkansas officials release distribution timeline of $216 million share in $26 billion opioid agreement

FILE – This June 17, 2019, file photo shows 5-mg pills of Oxycodone. Native American tribes in the U.S. have reached settlements worth $590 million …

FILE – This June 17, 2019, file photo shows 5-mg pills of Oxycodone. Native American tribes in the U.S. have reached settlements worth $590 million over opioids. A court filing made Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022 in Cleveland lays out the details of the settlements with drugmaker Johnson & Johnson and distribution companies AmerisoruceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)

by: Miriam Battles

Posted: Feb 25, 2022 / 02:23 PM CST

Updated: Feb 25, 2022 / 02:25 PM CST

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – State officials have announced the timeline of when Arkansas will receive their share of $216 million in the $26 billion opioid agreement announced in 2021.

Upon finalization of the agreement, companies Cardinal, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen and Johnson & Johnson will begin releasing funds to a national administrator on April 2, according to a release from Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. Those funds will then be allocated to state and local governments during the second quarter of 2022.

In October 2021, Rutledge announced the Arkansas Opioids Memorandum of Understanding agreement, detailing that the funds will be used to support treatment, recovery, harm reduction and other strategies to address the opioid epidemic.

According to state officials, this agreement is the second largest multistate agreement in U.S. history with 52 states and territories signing on.

In addition to providing the funds, Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen will have specific requirements including to report and prevent the shipping of suspicious opioid orders and terminate customer pharmacies’ ability to receive shipments.

Johnson & Johnson will also have requirements in addition to this agreement, including to stop selling opioids and not fund or provide grants to third parties for the purpose of promoting opioids.

To view additional data regarding the impact that the opioid epidemic has had on Arkansas, visit the Arkansas Opioid Response Dashboard.