States, cities, counties and tribal governments across the nation will soon receive a windfall through several major opioid settlements. Drug distributors and manufacturers, including Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family members who own it, will relinquish a total of about US$32 billion for their role in the overdose crisis. Other litigation could yield more funds.
I am a sociologist who studies how the overdose crisis affects patient care. My research shows why these funds cannot come quickly enough for the communities poised to receive them.
