Massachusetts health officials have launched a system they say will track how the state and municipalities spend almost $1 billion in opioid settlement funds they expect to receive over nearly two decades.
The Department of Public Health’s Statewide Opioid Settlement Funds Dashboard, unveiled Wednesday morning, is a public website containing information about how settlement monies are used for substance use prevention, harm reduction, addiction treatment and recovery efforts.
“The launch of this dashboard is about more than simply providing data — it reflects the department’s ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability and fostering public trust,” Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein said in a press release.
The $1 billion expected for Massachusetts between 2021 and 2039 stems from settlements in lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies, distributors and retailers over their alleged role in the the opioid crisis. The lawsuits claimed the companies boosted pain medications that were highly addictive, causing drug use to soar and leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans from overdoses every year.
The settlement funds are split between the state and municipalities, with 40% going to municipalities and administered by the Municipal Opioid Abatement Funds. The other 60% of the money goes to the state and is administered through the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund.
The new dashboard provides access to settlement funds broken out by fiscal year, and shows how the state and municipalities have allocated the funds. The dashboard will be updated annually, state officials said. A previous dashboard focused on municipal monies will be incorporated into the new statewide dashboard.
“This tool allows for greater public awareness and input to continue informing decisions around how these critical resources are being put to use,” state Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Kiame Mahaniah, a physician who specialized in addiction and primary care, said in the release.
The launch of the new dashboard coincides with the release of state and municipal opioid settlement spending data for the last fiscal year.
The figures show that municipalities reported having $107.7 million in available settlement funds in the fiscal year that ended last June, but they spent only about $13.2 million. State officials said many communities are still assessing their needs, engaging residents affected by the opioid crisis and identifying approaches in which to invest.
The data also shows that the state received $40 million from opioid settlement payments last fiscal year. Combined with funds carried over from prior years, the state spent a total of $61 million in Opioid Recovery and Remediation funds in the most recent fiscal year. That amount included $13 million in Mosaic Opioid Recovery Partnership grants to municipalities and community groups for substance use prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery programs. The most recent grants focused on programs for children and families affected by the opioid overdose crisis.
The state fund has received $219 million in opioid settlement funds in total so far.
