Iowa to receive $70 million in CVS, Walgreens opioid crisis agreement

DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) - Iowa is expected to receive $70 million as part of an agreement with CVS and Walgreens for their role in the opioids crisis.

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and other attorneys general from across the country announced the finalized agreement on Monday, saying CVS will pay $5 billion and Walgreens will pay $5.7 billion, for a total of $10.7 billion nationally.

“The opioid crisis is the deadliest drug epidemic in American history,” Miller said in a press release. “My colleagues and I have worked on a bipartisan basis to hold accountable the companies that created and fueled this crisis. Securing more than $10 billion from CVS and Walgreens nationwide means our states can provide more resources for the treatment and prevention of Opioid Use Disorder to those most in need.”

The agreement brings the total national amount of settlements based on the litigation against the pharmaceutical industry to more than $50 billion.

Iowa will receive a total of about $320 million.

The Attorneys General accused CVS and Walgreens of ignoring red flags over opioid prescriptions and failing to detect and prevent the abuse and diversion of drugs.

Additionally, under the agreement, Walmart, CVS and Walgreens will be required to monitor, report and share data about any suspicious activity related to opioid prescriptions.

The terms of the agreement are expected to be reviewed by the states, with each state having until the end of 2022 to join.

“Iowa intends to join the agreements,” Miller said. “Nearly all of the settlement funds must be used to remediate the opioid crisis, including prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services.”

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