LENAWEE CO. — Lenawee County has approved participation in a national opioid settlement with pharmaceutical company Sandoz, securing a one-time payment of $171,783 to support local recovery efforts.
The decision was formalized Tuesday with the approval of Resolution 2025-08 during the county’s Personnel/Ways & Means Committee meeting. The agreement stems from multi-state litigation against drug manufacturers accused of contributing to the opioid epidemic.
County Administrator Kimberly Murphy said the funds will be disbursed under the terms of the Sandoz Settlement Agreement, which Lenawee opted into through a formal participation form.
The funds are intended for opioid abatement and treatment-related initiatives. While this payment is a single installment, Murphy noted that another, larger settlement is expected soon with Purdue Pharmaceuticals.
During the meeting, County Administrator Kim Murphy described the settlement and indicated a possible future settlement, stating, “This particular disbursement is a one-time payment. I will indicate that in the not too distant future, [we] are also going to have a similar request, but this is to do with Purdue Pharma. And that will be a much larger settlement that will most likely expand over a number of years. Although we do not have the details behind that yet. As that is just being made known to us.”
The $171,783 payout will be directed to the county without restrictions on timing, though it must follow the use guidelines outlined in the national agreement.
Officials anticipate additional updates later this year regarding multi-year disbursements tied to other manufacturers