The first wave of opioid settlement funds is finally making its way to counties and local authorities.
The money comes after years of litigation against three of the largest drug distributors – McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen — as well as one manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson.
The settlement funds are earmarked only for drug prevention and rehabilitation.
The Wilson County Substance Prevention Council presented how Wilson County will spend its $575,000 of first-wave funds at a community meeting yesterday. The county will expand housing opportunities for those with substance use disorders, expand medication-assisted treatment through monthly stipends, and purchasing and distributing Narcan, an overdose reversing drug.
The settlement funds come nine months after the North Carolina Health Department announced it would begin distribution. In total, the state will receive and distribute $750 million over the next 16 years.
