Arkansas officials release distribution timeline of $216 million share in $26 billion opioid agreement
By Miriam Battles
KARK
State officials have announced the timeline of when Arkansas will receive their share of $216 million in the $26 billion opioid agreement announced in 2021.
Upon finalization of the agreement, companies Cardinal, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen and Johnson & Johnson will begin releasing funds to a national administrator on April 2, according to a release from Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. Those funds will then be allocated to state and local governments during the second quarter of 2022.
In October 2021, Rutledge announced the Arkansas Opioids Memorandum of Understanding agreement, detailing that the funds will be used to support treatment, recovery, harm reduction and other strategies to address the opioid epidemic.
According to state officials, this agreement is the second largest multistate agreement in U.S. history with 52 states and territories signing on.
