Alabama Sees Drop in Opioid Prescriptions, Funds Flow In

Alabama is making measurable strides in the fight against opioid misuse, with new data showing significant drops in both the number and strength of prescription opioids Statewide. Meanwhile, legal settlements tied to the opioid epidemic are bringing fresh funding to support treatment, prevention, and recovery efforts.

A national report from the American Medical Association shows opioid prescriptions nationwide have fallen sharply, with significant decreases in Alabama as well. The State has seen a 46.2 percent drop in opioid prescriptions from 2012 to 2024 and a 58.7 percent decline in average dosage strength in that span. Prescriptions for naloxone — a life-saving opioid overdose reversal drug — grew by 222.8 percent from 2018 to 2024 before dipping slightly as more retailers began offering over-the-counter naloxone.

These declines reflect years of focused work by Alabama physicians and State health partners. The Medical Association of the State of Alabama has led one of the nation’s earliest and most sustained training efforts on safe, effective opioid prescribing. In collaboration with the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners, the Association offers multiple annual courses for physicians and advanced practice providers. Since 2009, more than 10,000 prescribers Statewide have completed this training.

“Physicians have fundamentally changed how opioids are prescribed in Alabama,” said Dr. Mark LeQuire, President of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama. “Doctors are using lower doses, prescribing opioids more selectively and emphasizing alternative treatments whenever possible — all while continuing to care for patients who legitimately need pain management.”

Despite progress in curbing prescription opioids, the crisis persists in other forms, especially with illicit opioids like fentanyl driving many overdose deaths nationwide. Efforts to expand broader substance use treatment and support services remain critical.

Law enforcement and State leaders are also tapping a series of nationwide legal settlements tied to opioid manufacturers and distributors.

In June 2025, Alabama joined 55 U.S. States and territories in a tentative $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family — a deal covering thousands of opioid-related lawsuits. Under the agreement, Alabama’s State and local governments may receive up to about $75 million over the next 15 years to support opioid abatement programs, including prevention, treatment, and recovery services.

Separately, in July 2025, Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that Alabama will receive about $11.7 million from a nationwide settlement involving eight opioid drug makers. Those funds come from several pharmaceutical companies that agreed to resolve litigation alleging they contributed to the opioid crisis by manufacturing or promoting opioid products.

Marshall called the settlement “another pivotal achievement in Alabama’s aggressive and uniquely successful legal strategy to hold opioid manufacturers, distributors, and others accountable.”

Some agreements also include conditions prohibiting companies from marketing or selling high-strength opioids and requiring enhanced reporting of suspicious orders — moves aimed at tightening control over the distribution of potent painkillers.

Alabamians seeking help for substance use disorders can find treatment resources at www.findtreatment.gov or by calling the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s national helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).