Tennessee part of another opioid settlement. How much will it get?

Frank Gluck, Nashville Tennessean
·2 min read

Tennessee will receive $9 million as part of a $350 million settlement with global marketing firm, Publicis Health, for its role in the prescription opioid crisis, state Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced on Thursday.

The money will be deposited into Tennessee’s Opioid Abatement Fund to help address the opioid crisis.

“The opioid crisis has devastated families and communities across Tennessee and we will continue to work hard to hold accountable those companies most responsible,” Attorney General Skrmetti said in a statement. “The money we get from these companies will never be enough to make right the damage they have done, but we will continue to work with the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Opioid Abatement Council to ensure that these resources go toward fighting the opioid epidemic.”

Jonathan Skrmetti
Jonathan Skrmetti

Publicis did not immediately respond to an interview request on Thursday.

According to the terms of the deal, Publicis will no longer accept clients who sell opioids and Schedule II or Schedule III drugs. Publicis worked as the agency of record for Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, and helped with promoting the drugs, according to the Attorney General's Office.

According to Skrmetti's announcement, Publicis contributed to the crisis by helping Purdue Pharma and other opioid manufacturers market and sell opioids.

Tennessee has received more than $1 billion in legal settlements from drug makers and others for their role in the drug crisis. Most of the funds have been earmarked for addressing the opioid crisis, according to the state.

Other recent opioid settlements

Following are some other recent opioid settlements Tennessee has announced:

  • Tennessee won a $15.2 million share of a multi-state settlement with consulting firm McKinsey & Company last year over its promotion of opioid drugs.

  • It similarly won a share of a $4.5 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma.

  • In 2021 it announced a settlement with Endo Pharmaceuticals for its role in the opioid epidemic.

Frank Gluck is the health care reporter for The Tennessean. He can be reached at fgluck@tennessean.com. Follow him on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @FrankGluck.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How much Tennessee will get from Publicis Health opioid settlement?