Drug Distributors Settle for $300 Million in Opioid Case

Three major U.S. drug distributors, McKesson, Cencora, and Cardinal Health, have agreed to pay $300 million to settle claims from health insurers alleging their role in the opioid epidemic. The proposed class action settlement, which is pending court approval in Cleveland, Ohio, sees McKesson contributing 38.1%, Cardinal Health 30.9%, and Cencora 31% of the total payout. These claims focus on the financial burdens incurred by third-party payers due to overprescribed opioids and the treatment of opioid use disorder among their beneficiaries. This settlement follows a larger $21 billion agreement reached in 2021 with state attorneys general regarding opioid-related claims. Despite the settlement, the companies did not admit any wrongdoing, and the case adds to the ongoing accountability efforts in the opioid crisis that has claimed countless lives in the U.S. over the past two decades.