For Release: January 30, 2009
Contact: David Clementson
Email: dclementson@oag.state.va.us
Phone: 804-786-2071
McDonnell Awards OxyContin Civil Settlement Funds
More Than $650,000 Distributed to Southwest Virginia Agencies for Education, Rehabilitation Efforts
Announcement Made at Abingdon Press Conference with Sen. Puckett, Sen. Wampler, Del. Kilgore
Abingdon -- Attorney General Bob McDonnell traveled to Abingdon this afternoon to award more than $650,000 in OxyContin civil settlement grants to three agencies for use in Southwest Virginia. The Attorney General held a press conference at the Virginia Highlands Airport at which he was joined by Sen. Phillip Puckett (D-Russell), Sen. William Wampler (R-Bristol), and Del. Terry Kilgore (R-Gate City).
The grant funds are the result of the civil settlement by 26 states and the District of Columbia with Purdue Pharma L.P regarding the promotion and marketing of the opioid pain medication OxyContin. The Virginia Office of the Attorney General was one of seven offices that led the multistate investigation leading to the settlement.
The grants were awarded today to the following three organizations:
Further details on the funding recipients and how the funds will be utilized can be found below.
“The tragedy of OxyContin addiction and abuse has touched every city and county in Southwest Virginia,” Attorney General McDonnell said. “According to the State Medical Examiner in Roanoke, from 1996 until 2005 228 Virginians in this region lost their lives due to oxycodone overdoses. Oxycodone is the main ingredient in OxyContin. Many others lost their jobs, their families, and their futures. OxyContin is so highly addictive that for many, once they started taking the drug, there was no turning back.”
McDonnell continued, “With these funds, we have the opportunity to assist these individuals and their families. The grants awarded today will help those with OxyContin addiction and dependency issues to get their lives back on track. OxyContin abuse has ravaged this beautiful part of Virginia. This is a step forward in ending this tragedy.”
About the Recipients:
The Appalachian Substance Abuse Coalition for Prevention and Treatment (ASAC)
ASAC is a coalition made up of Community Services Boards, Health Departments, Departments of Social Services, court personnel, Commonwealth’s Attorneys, school personnel, primary care providers, and other community members. ASAC has been dedicated to serving the communities of Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, Washington and Wise Counties, and the Cities of Norton and Bristol. ASAC’s mission is “to inform and empower communities to address and own the epidemic of substance abuse in order to improve the quality of life.” The Virginia Association of Community Services Boards, Inc. submitted the proposal on behalf of ASAC, and Cumberland Mountain Community Services Board will be the fiscal agent for these funds.
ASAC will use the funds to implement an information dissemination and social norm marketing prevention campaign to increase the awareness of the use and abuse of prescription drugs, such as OxyContin, to employers, faith based organizations, college and high school students and their families.
The Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services (DMHMRSAS)
The Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services will use the funds to provide treatment to persons who are dependent on opiate-based prescription drugs, such as OxyContin, who live in the far Southwest region of Virginia. In addition DMHMRSAS intends to use some of the funds to help extend the operation of Project REMOTE beyond its three-year federal funding which will end in September. Project REMOTE provides treatment for individuals addicted to opiate-based prescription drugs through three local Community Services Boards in Southwest Virginia. DMHMRSAS also may use some of the funds to assist Community Health Centers in providing treatment to individuals who are dependent on these drugs.
The Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy
The Division of Mines within the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy will use the funds for the treatment and rehabilitation of miners who have failed screenings for prescription drugs, or who voluntarily admit to a prescription drug problem, and enter into treatment or rehabilitation agreements with the Board of Coal Mining Examiners. The funds will assist the Division of Mines in implementing legislation passed in 2007 with a purpose of controlling substance abuse, including abuse of prescription drugs such as OxyContin, in the coal mining industry. This legislation was sponsored by Sen. Puckett and Del. Bill Carrico (R-Independence). The legislation was supported by Sen. Wampler, Del. Bud Phillips (D-Dickenson County) and Del. Kilgore.
All three agencies will work together to coordinate their efforts so that they can maximize use of the funds and avoid duplication of efforts.
The civil settlement in May 2007, from which these grant funds came, addressed claims that Purdue engaged in extensive off-label marketing of OxyContin and failed to adequately disclose abuse and diversion risks associated with the drug in violation of state civil consumer protection laws. In addition to the $19.5 million that Purdue agreed to pay to the states involved, the settlement also:
The settlement also requires Purdue to maintain an OxyContin abuse and diversion detection program that Purdue established internally to identify potential abuse or diversion of OxyContin. Under the program, Purdue sales representatives are required to report prescribing activities that might indicate abuse or diversion of the drug. Upon identification of potential abuse or diversion, Purdue is required to conduct an internal inquiry and take further steps as may be appropriate, such as ceasing the promotion of Purdue products to the prescriber or reporting such potential abuse or diversion to medical, regulatory or law enforcement authorities.
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