Employee Severance, Litigation, and Other

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]

Employee Severance, Litigation, and Other

Employee Severance, Litigation, and Other

The following illustrates the charges incurred by the Company relating to Employee Severance, Litigation, and Other for the periods indicated:

	Fiscal Year Ended September 30,
(in thousands)	2021		2020		2019
Employee severance	$	13,705	$	34,401	$	34,147
Litigation and opioid-related costs	272,623		6,722,346		185,145
Acquisition-related deal and integration costs	116,969		15,958		43,184
Business transformation efforts	36,255		37,961		55,437
Other restructuring initiatives	32,359		(3,359)		12,561
Total employee severance, litigation, and other	$	471,911	$	6,807,307	$	330,474

Employee severance in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 included costs primarily related to restructuring activities in the Company's Global Commercialization Services businesses. Employee severance in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020 included costs primarily related to position eliminations resulting from the Company's decision to permanently exit the PharMEDium compounding business. Employee severance in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 included costs primarily related to PharMEDium restructuring activities, position eliminations resulting from our business transformation efforts and the integration of H.D. Smith, and restructuring activities related to our consulting business.

Litigation and opioid-related costs in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 included a $147.7 million accrual related to the proposed opioid litigation settlement (see Note 14). It also included legal fees and opioid-related costs in connection with opioid lawsuits and investigations. Litigation and opioid-related costs in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020 included costs primarily related to a $6.6 billion legal accrual ($5.5 billion, net of an income tax benefit) and legal fees in connection with opioid lawsuits and investigations. Litigation and opioid-related costs in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 consisted of $116.7 million of legal settlements and accruals and $68.5 million of legal fees in connection with opioid lawsuits and investigations.

Acquisition-related deal and integration costs in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 primarily related to the June 2021 acquisition of Alliance Healthcare. Acquisition-related deal and integration costs in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 are primarily related to the integration of H.D. Smith. Integration costs primarily included costs to transition servicing legacy H.D. Smith customers to existing company distribution facilities and operating systems.

    Business transformation efforts in the fiscal years ended September 30, 2021, 2020, and 2019 were primarily related to costs associated with reorganizing the Company to further align the organization to its customers' needs. The majority of these costs were related to services provided by third-party consultants, including certain technology initiatives.

Other restructuring initiatives in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 primarily related to the disposal of assets related to the Company's return to office plan. Other restructuring initiatives in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020 included a $19.1 million gain on the sale of property.