Opioid settlement fund: Is there a limit on how much Maricopa County can spend?

Phoenix, Arizona: Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell has requested a legal opinion to determine if the county is subject to a spending limitation for the opioid settlement funds it is now receiving. On July 8, Mitchell formally sought an opinion from Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes.

The county's lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies, accused of perpetuating Arizona's opioid epidemic, resulted in a large settlement. Arizona counties and municipalities are set to receive more than $639 million from the settlement, with Maricopa County alone slated to receive $218 million over the next 18 years.

The funds, already being disbursed, are earmarked for drug treatment and addiction prevention efforts. This includes support for nonprofits aiding affected families, as well as initiatives related to housing, job training, and other services connected to opioid abuse. The goal is to alleviate the burden on community resources such as police, courts, and medical examiners, which have been heavily impacted by the epidemic.

Maricopa County has been actively involved in litigation against pharmaceutical companies due to their role in perpetuating the opioid epidemic, including Johnson & Johnson and three major pharmaceutical distributors.

The legal battles that led to this settlement have been ongoing for several years and involve numerous lawsuits at both state and local levels. These lawsuits allege that pharmaceutical companies engaged in deceptive practices, such as misleading marketing and the negligent distribution of opioids, contributing to widespread addiction and overdose deaths.

By joining the national settlement, Maricopa County has agreed to drop its own lawsuit against the pharmaceutical companies, although it continues to pursue action against Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, which is undergoing bankruptcy proceedings​.