Northport Looks To Join State In Settlement From Opioid Lawsuit

Tuscaloosa AL

20 December, 2021

7:40 AM

Description

NORTHPORT, AL — The Northport City Council will hold a special called meeting Monday at noon as the city considers joining the State of Alabama and others in a settlement over opioid-related lawsuits against a major drugmaker and one of its distributors. Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts. The State of Alabama recently reached settlement terms with drugmaker Endo International Plc and distributor McKesson Corp, over the companies' roles in the opioid epidemic, according to a report from Reuters. The City of Tuscaloosa is set to have its City Council consider a similar measure on Tuesday. According to the most-recent court filing, Tuscaloosa-based attorneys Robert F. Prince and Joshua P. Hayes, of Prince Glover Hayes, are listed on the lawsuit as legal counsel for the Alabama Attorney General's Office. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reported that, as recently as 2018, Alabama providers wrote 97.5 opioid prescriptions for every 100 persons — marking the highest prescribing rate in the country that year and one that was almost twofold greater than the average U.S. rate of 51.4. In 2019 alone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 768 people died from opioid overdoses in Alabama. Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at [email protected]