Subject:
Title
Name Additional Defendants in National Prescription Opiate Litigation
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Fiscal Impact:
None. Potential for receipt of funds in the future if settlements/verdicts are reached.
Dept/Office:
County Attorney’s Office on behalf of outside counsel for opioid litigation
Requested Action:
Recommendation
Approve outside counsel’s recommendation to name additional defendants in the national opioid litigation; authorize the Chair and County Attorney to sign related documents as necessary.
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Summary Explanation and Background:
Brevard County is a plaintiff in In re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation, Case No. 17-md-2804, which is the multi-district litigation against the opioid manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in the District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. The litigation has resulted in settlements with several defendants.
Brevard County’s outside counsel has recommended that the County add new defendants to our case. The additional defendants fall into three categories: pharmacy benefit managers (including Express Scripts and Optum); retail pharmacies (including Publix); and several small opioid manufacturers.
Although the deadline to amend the complaint in this litigation is July 22, 2024, the Plaintiff’s Executive Committee has asked for the County’s decision by July 10, 2024 so that it may file one motion for each national defendant.
Clerk to the Board Instructions:
Please return a memo of the Board’s action to the County Attorney’s Office.