Montgomery County will receive part of the more than $1 billion settlement between Pa. and three major pharmaceutical distributors regarding their roles in creating and fueling the opioid epidemic, reported John McDevitt for KYW Newsradio.

All 67 counties in the Commonwealth are eligible for part of the settlement.

The factors that will determine geographic settlement allotments include:

• Overdose deaths
• Hospitalizations due to opioid use disorder
• Naloxone administration (emergency medication for narcotic overdose)
• Percentage of opioid shipments

In total, around $375 million will be distributed to Phila. and its surrounding communities.

Montgomery County will receive about $45 million. The payments will be spread over 18 years.

The money from the settlement will go toward opioid remediation programs and initiatives.

Reactions locally are best summed up by Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor, who said: “Opioid abuse has stolen lives. There is no amount of money that can ever account for the lives that opioids have taken and ruined, but we can use these settlement funds to educate residents” with the primary focus being on prevention and recovery.

Read more about the opioid settlement at KYW Newsradio.