LINCOLN — Nebraska is in line to potentially receive $100 million as part of national settlements over the distribution of opioids that contributed to a national addiction epidemic.

A settlement announced this week requires three major drug distribution companies — AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson — to pay a combined $21 billion over 18 years to a coalition of state and local governments. The settlement also requires drug maker Johnson & Johnson to pay $5 billion over nine years.

It’s the second opioid-related settlement Nebraska has been a party to. Earlier this year, Attorney General Doug Peterson announced that the state would receive $2.59 million as part of a $573 million settlement with McKinsey & Company, one of the world’s largest consulting firms, which worked with drug manufacturers in a promotional role.

Nebraska is also a party to a settlement being negotiated with Purdue Pharma.

Peterson said he expects the state to receive about $100 million total from the three cases over the next 18 years.

Most of that money will go directly into Nebraska’s Opioid Recovery Fund to be used for treatment and prevention purposes. Some of the money will go to counties and cities that joined the suit individually.

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