Kentucky will receive more than $10 million as a part of a multistate settlement against a global pharmaceutical distributor for allegedly improperly marketing and distributing opioid addiction recovery medication. A $300 million dollar multistate settlement against Indivior said they sold the meditation resulting in a misuse of state Medicaid funds.
A release from Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s office Friday said this cumulative $300 million multistate settlement is between the 50 state Medicaid Fraud Units, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. This settlement resolves allegations that Indivior falsely marketed the drug Suboxone to reduce withdrawal symptoms for opioid addiction and those undergoing recovery treatment.
“The deceptive marketing of opioid treatment drugs only deepens the struggle of Kentuckians working to recover from substance use disorders,” said Attorney General Daniel Cameron in a statement. “[I]t sends a clear signal that the illegal use of Kentucky’s Medicaid dollars will not be tolerated.”
Under the terms of the settlement, Indivior has agreed to pay over $203 million to the federal Medicaid program and more than $90 million to states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
According to the release, Attorney General Cameron’s Medicaid Fraud Unit receives 75% of its funding from a more than $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with the rest funded by the state.
