North Carolina announced the first $26 billion national settlement agreement with the three largest drug distributors, plus the drug maker Johnson & Johnson (J&J) in July 2021. Two additional sets of settlements with pharmacies and other companies totaling $22 billion together were announced in 2023 and 2024. All settlement proceeds will be distributed over an 18-year period from FY 2022 to FY 2039.
The State of North Carolina has established a Memorandum of Agreement (NC MOA) for distribution and use of settlement funds. Guilford County signed on to this MOA in June 2021 when the first wave of settlement agreements was being finalized, and the MOA continues to apply to following settlements.
Guilford County expects to receive up to $40.75 million total from all the settlements announced as of August 2024.
What the County is Doing with the Funds
The county can only use settlement funds to address issues arising from or related to the opioid crisis including to assist with the treatment, recovery, and support of our residents with substance use disorder. All uses of funds must be specifically authorized by the Board of Commissioners, and the outcomes of the funded programs and activities are reported to the state annually.
To ensure that the use of funds is based on actual needs and interests of the community, Guilford County created a drug and injury prevention manager to serve as a coordinator for opioid settlement planning and engagement work and hired a consultant to conduct a collaborative strategic planning process with the community. The Board of Commissioners approved the recommendations from the strategic plan and staff began to implement these recommendations in July 2024. The county must conduct a new collaborative strategic planning process every four (4) years to continue to fund certain recommendations.
Current Information on the Impact of Opioids on the Community
The state and county also continue to monitor both the impact of opioid use on the community and, with the use of settlement funds, the impact of new initiatives and response efforts to opioid use. The county is continuing to build out tracking and reporting tools for this information.
Other Ongoing Work on Opioid Recovery and Response
Guilford Overdose Prevention and Education Collective (GOPEC)
GOPEC is a collective action group that aims to connect the community with resources to prevent loss of life due to overdose. It is led by the county’s drug and injury prevention manager and comprised of individuals with lived experience, representatives from healthcare, local non-profits, first responders, and human services. Email GOPEC for more information.
Annual Local Meetings
Under the terms of the NC MOA, the county must hold at least one (1) annual public meeting with all municipalities in the county to receive input and collaborate on proposed uses of settlement funds. These annual meetings generally take place in the summer and the time and location is announced as it is determined each year.
Email GOPEC@guilfordcountync.gov for information about the next annual meeting and other community meetings.