HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania has secured a whopping $15.7 million from a nationwide $350 million settlement with Publicis Health. The prominent marketing firm, in collaboration with Purdue Pharma and other companies, played a significant role in the opioid addiction crisis that has ravaged communities across the state.
Attorney General Michelle Henry announced the settlement on Thursday, highlighting the crucial part Publicis played in the epidemic. “Publicis was instrumental in getting these lethally-addictive opioids into the hands and homes of Pennsylvanians,” she said. “They helped Purdue Pharma and others to market and publicize the drugs without full disclosure of their addictiveness and other harmful effects.”
The funds acquired from the settlement will be directed towards the state Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, supporting opioid abatement services across Pennsylvania. This financial boost comes in addition to national settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors, which are expected to bring an estimated $1 billion to the state over several years.
Publicis Health, acknowledging the damage its actions caused, will disclose thousands of internal documents detailing its work for opioid companies like Purdue Pharma on a public website. In a significant change of course, the company also agreed to stop accepting client work related to opioid-based Schedule II or other Schedule II narcotics.
Court documents reveal that Publicis was Purdue’s agency of record for all its branded opioid drugs, including OxyContin. The firm even developed sales tactics that relied on data from recordings of personal health-related, in-office conversations between patients and providers. Publicis was also a driving force behind Purdue’s decision to market OxyContin to providers on patients’ electronic health records.
This settlement is the latest in a series of actions taken by Attorney General Henry to combat the opioid crisis and hold those responsible accountable. To date, settlements totaling $1 billion have been achieved with drug manufacturers, distributors, and others for their roles in the crisis, providing critical funding to battle the ravages of opioid addiction throughout the Commonwealth.
Pennsylvania joined forces with Colorado and Attorneys General of all states, territories, and the District of Columbia in this multistate group to bring justice to those affected by the opioid epidemic.
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