Oregon Opioid Settlement Funds
Since July 2021, the State of Oregon has reached agreement on national lawsuits against several companies for their role in the opioid crisis. Through these agreements, nearly $600 million will be awarded to Oregon over the course of 18 years.
As of February 2024, funds have been received from:
- Distributor Settlement payments (settlements between the State of Oregon and participating subdivisions and McKesson, Cardinal and AmerisourceBergen)
- Janssen Settlement payments (settlement between the State of Oregon and participating subdivisions and Johnson & Johnson, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Incorporated, and Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Incorporated)
- Mallinckrodt Settlement payments (settlement between the State of Oregon and participating subdivisions and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals)
- Teva & Allergan Settlement payments (settlement between the State of Oregon and participating subdivisions and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. And Allergan Pharmaceuticals)
- CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart Settlement payments (settlements between the State of Oregon and participating subdivisions and CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart pharmacies)
- Publicis Worldwide (not subject to 55/45% split with subdivisions)
- Additional restitution funds from Oregon Department of Justice (not subject to 55/45% split with subdivisions)
Additional payments are pending from settlements with Endo Health Solutions, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Kroger, and Purdue Pharma.
These funds can be used for a wide variety of opioid prevention, treatment, and recovery strategies
(Exhibit E Approved Uses).
Settlement funds from opioid manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies are divided between the State of Oregon (45%) and local jurisdictions (55%) pursuant to
Oregon's intrastate allocation agreements. The state’s share is deposited as it becomes available into the Opioid Settlement, Prevention, Treatment and Recovery (OSPTR) Fund required by
2022 House Bill 4098. This fund is controlled by the 18-member
Oregon Opioid Settlement Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Board. Oregon Health Authority provides staff support to the OSPTR Fund and Board.
Throughout the current fiscal biennium which ends in June 2025, approximately $91.2 million will be deposited into the OSPTR Fund.
In January 2024 the OSPTR Board voted to allocate $27.7 million to the nine
Federally Recognized Tribes in Oregon – this is equivalent to 30% of all funds anticipated this biennium. This 30% set-aside will continue throughout the life of the fund as additional settlement payments are deposited.
After the Tribal set-aside, the OSPTR Board is disbursing the funds across eight categories:
OSPTR Board spending decisions to date:
- Harm Reduction: $13.7 million to the
Save Lives Oregon Harm Reduction Clearinghouse, to distribute naloxone and other life-saving supplies to qualified entities.
- Leadership, Planning and Coordination: $4 million to develop a unified and evidence-based state system for collecting, analyzing and publishing data about the availability and efficacy of substance use prevention, treatment and recovery services in Oregon as required by
2022 House Bill 4098.
- Primary Prevention: $13.7 million to counties, community-based organizations, Regional Health Equity Coalitions, and the Oregon Council for Behavioral Health to increase and strengthen Oregon’s substance use disorder prevention workforce.
- Recovery: $13.08 million to establish Recovery Community Centers in counties with the greatest need; support personnel at Oxford House Recovery Housing, and expand culturally specific and youth recovery services in Recovery Community Centers.
The OSPTR Board will soon make additional investments in Treatment, Research and Evaluation, and Emerging Issues.
2022 House Bill 4098 allows up to 5% of the OSPTR Fund to go to administrative expenses such as staffing, fund management, contracts, and grants management. A total of $1.3 million has been set aside for administrative expenses to date.
For more information, please refer to the National opioid settlements website.
For questions contact Interim Opioid Settlement Manager, Lisa Shields
Oregon Health Authority, Public Health Division
Injury and Violence Prevention Program
www.oregon.gov/opioidsettlement
Work cell phone: (971) 258-4995
Email:
lisa.m.shields@oha.oregon.gov
The opioid settlement funds will be divided between the State of Oregon (45%) and local jurisdictions (55%).
Subdivision Fund: Distributed Directly to Cities and Counties
Cities and counties in Oregon with populations greater than 10,000 will receive 55% of the opioid settlement funds. At this time, the total distribution to the Subdivision Fund will be approximately $327 million, or 55% of the Oregon settlement funds. This portion of the funds will be divided among cities and counties using a population-based model developed through the settlement agreement (Exhibit A).
Local jurisdictions will decide how their funds are used. Cities and counties will be required to report to the Oregon Department of Justice annually on how they have allocated their funds. The annual reports will be publicly available, and the State will host a public meeting to discuss each annual report. This webpage will provide information about these public meetings.
The State of Oregon will receive 45% of the total opioid settlement funds, or approximately $272 million.
ORS Chapter 63, Sections 5-10 dictates how the State will manage and allocate these funds for statewide and regional opioid prevention, treatment, and recovery strategies.
ORS Chapter 63, Sections 5-10 mandates that an 18-member advisory board will determine how State’s portion of the funds will be allocated. These funding decisions will be in alignment with Oregon's Strategic Plan for Substance Use Services. A portion of the State’s funds must be used towards a unified and evidence-based state system for collecting, analyzing, and publishing data about the availability and efficacy of substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery services statewide.
The Oregon Health Authority is collaborating closely with the Governor’s Office, the Oregon Department of Justice, and the Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission to implement the activities outlined in the opioid settlement agreement and House Bill 4098. These agencies are currently laying the groundwork to form the OSPTR Board, which is expected to begin meeting in late Fall 2022.
The Opioid Settlement Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Board is allocating 30% of the state portion of opioid settlement funds throughout the life of the project to the Nine Federally-Recognized Tribes in Oregon, which will total approximately $82 million.
In addition, approximately $1.5 billion is going directly to federally recognized tribes from various opioid settlement agreements.
All federally recognized tribes are eligible to participate in the tribal opioid settlements, regardless of whether a tribe filed an opioid lawsuit. Oregon's nine federally recognized tribes are eligible to receive a portion of the $1.5 billion settlement.
Refer to the Tribal Opioid Settlements webpage for more information:
www.tribalopioidsettlements.com
ORS Chapter 63, Sections 5-10 mandates that an 18-member Opioid Settlement Prevention, Treatment and Recovery (OSPTR) Board will determine how to allocate the State’s portion of the opioid settlement funds for statewide and regional opioid prevention, treatment, and recovery initiatives. These funding decisions will be in alignment with
Oregon's Strategic Plan for Substance Use Services.
The OSPTR Board meets monthly, generally on first Wednesdays from 10am – 1pm. All meetings are open to the public and community members are welcome to provide testimony and input. Members of the public may also submit written comments to the Board through Lisa Shields, contact info below.
If you would like to submit a letter or statement to the OSPTR Board, please send it to
Lisa.m.shields@dhsoha.state.or.us.
Learn more at the
OSPTR Board webpage.
