Purdue Pharma Canada has agreed to a settlement to give compensation for a portion of the damages caused by opioid addiction.
$150 million is proposed to be shared across all federal, provincial and territorial governments in Canada.
“Opioid manufacturers, distributors and consultants have a responsibility to provide compensation for their role in the suffering of the many Saskatchewan residents struggling with opioid addiction, and this settlement will assist in those efforts,” said Mental Health and Addictions Minister Everett Hindley in a news release.
“While no amount of money will make up for the losses our community has suffered, the Government of Saskatchewan is committed to holding the opioid industry accountable for acts of alleged wrongdoing committed in the manufacture and distribution of opioid products.”
If it reaches final approval from the courts, this would be the largest governmental health claim settlement in Canadian history, according to the release.
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This would also mark the first time Purdue agreed to settle with a government other than the U.S.
The health ministry noted that Saskatchewan’s portion of the settlement is unknown at the moment, but the money it received would go to address the opioid crisis.
Thirty-nine other manufacturers and distributors are also named in the class action, and as part of the settlement Purdue would agree to cooperate in the prosecution of other parties.
Saskatchewan saw the highest number of opioid-related harms on record last year, and a record $470 million was allocated to Mental Health and Addictions in the 2022-23 Provincial Budget.
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