US drugstore chain Rite Aid Corp has signed a $10.5 million settlement with counties in three states, exempting it from the next round of trials stemming from the country’s opioid epidemic.
Georgia's Cobb County, North Carolina's Durham County, and Ohio's Montgomery County will each receive a $3.5 million payment from Rite Aid. The payments will exempt the drugstore company from further opioid trials with the counties.
Rite Aid did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
Thousands of lawsuits have been filed by state and local governments against drug manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacy chains, accusing them of fueling the opioid crisis.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 81,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the US in the 12 months ending in May 2020.
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