DOH website tracks $150M in opioid settlement funds
The Hawaii Department of Health has launched online dashboards to track the millions of dollars the state expects to receive from national opioid lawsuit settlements.
Under a master settlement agreement made with several major pharmaceutical companies, Hawaii is set to receive about $150 million, to be disbursed in annual payments through 2038.
“Opioid addiction, substance use and overdose deaths have torn families apart, damaged relationships and devastated communities,” said DOH Director Dr. Kenneth Fink in a news release. “We must dedicate available resources to healing the wounds caused by drug addiction. DOH is committed to ensuring that any funds allocated in settlements to the state through DOH will be stewarded responsibly, strategically and expeditiously.”
The Hawaii Opioid Settlement Project website, which was launched Jan. 6, offers three different dashboards that track:
>> Opioid overdose data, including key indicators of opioid-related harm such as overdose deaths and emergency department visits.
>> Opioid settlement fund data, which summarizes how Hawaii’s portion of the national settlement funds are allocated.
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>> Naloxone distributions, which tracks the purchases and distributions of lifesaving medication for opioid overdoses statewide. DOH purchases naloxone and distributes it for free at select locations across the state.
Under the terms of the agreement, 85% of the opioid settlement funds are to be managed by the state, and 15% by Hawaii’s counties.
The settlement dollars are currently earmarked for critical areas, such as expanding access to addiction treatment and recovery programs; supporting harm-reduction strategies, such as free naloxone distribution; and enhancing prevention initiatives to reduce opioid misuse.
The Hawaii Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee was established to guide the allocation process, and ensure funds are used according to the agreement’s terms and conditions.
The dashboards were developed by the DOH Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division in collaboration with the Hawaii Data Science Institute at the University of Hawaii.