Cascading Impacts from the Opioid Crisis

Calculating losses suffered by cities and counties requires cognizance of their internal data systems, a sense of where and what to count, and how to apply analytic models developed specifically for these types of problems. The key is to use systems that cities or counties already have in play.

Who gets what?  This is a paper that addresses the problems of allocation in large-scale multi-plaintiff lawsuits. Our focus? Losses due to the opioid crisis.  The conclusion? The ultimate allocation is an analytical problem – it is an optimization of a set of benefits that would accrue to all plaintiffs.

To provide a uniform perspective, the goal is: Deliver the most successful opioid abatement services to the greatest number of patients for the least cost and fixed total budget. A defined goal is actionable; an analytic assessment of the goal can find a best solution.

In the event of a settlement or bankruptcy on the part of the defendants, many questions will need answers. Dr. Charles Cowan ponders the moral dilemmas entities face in opioid litigation and addresses many of the most important questions.