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Opioid Litigation Daily Media Report - 1/22/18
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Delaware Files Lawsuit Against Opioid Industry (PRESS RELEASE)
Jan 19, 2018 | Delaware OAG
By Delaware AG Matt Denn
On behalf of Delawareans, Attorney General Matt Denn filed suit Friday against some of the nation’s largest manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of prescription opioid drugs, alleging that their failures to meet their legal obligations have fueled an opioid addiction epidemic that is devastating individuals, families, and communities across Delaware. -
Delaware Sues Opioid Manufacturers, Distributors Over Epidemic
Jan 22, 2018 | Reuters
By Nate Raymond
Delaware on Friday became the latest state to file a lawsuit accusing corporations of helping fuel the national opioid epidemic, suing a wide range of companies involved in making, distributing and selling prescription painkillers. -
Delaware files lawsuit against opioid industry
Jan 19, 2018 | Smyrna-Clayton Sun-Times
By Staff
Attorney General Matt Denn filed suit Jan. 19 against some of the nation’s larger manufacturers, distributors and retailers of prescription opioid drugs, alleging that their failures to meet their legal obligations have fueled an opioid addiction epidemic that is affecting individuals, families and communities across Delaware. -
Denn Sues Drug Companies Over Opioid Crisis
Jan 19, 2018 | Delaware Law Weekly (DE)
By Tom McParland
Delaware Attorney General Matt Denn on Friday sued a contingent of leading pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors in an effort to hold them accountable for their alleged role in the state’s opioid epidemic. -
AG Matt Denn takes on Big Pharma in opioid lawsuit
Jan 19, 2018 | The News Journal (DE)
By Brittany Horn
The state Attorney General's Office is taking on Big Pharma –– drug manufacturers, distributors and drug stores –– who get powerful, painkilling opioid drugs into the hands of Delawareans, according to a lawsuit filed Friday. -
Municipal leaders to announce legal action in the fight against opioid crisis
Jan 21, 2018 | Associated Press (RI)
By Staff
Democratic Lt. Gov. Dan McKee and several Rhode Island communities plan to announce legal action against companies that officials say are responsible for the proliferation of prescription opioids in the state. -
Fall River to sue “Big Pharmaceutical” companies over opioids
Jan 19, 2018 | WPRO News (RI)
By Steve Klamkin
Calling drug overdose deaths “a crisis that is plaguing our residents… literally killing people in our streets”, Fall River Mayor Jasiel Corriea II said Friday the city will sue big pharmaceutical companies. -
Saratoga County sues more than 30 pharmaceutical companies
Jan 21, 2018 | The Daily Gazette (NY)
By Ann Friedman
Saratoga County filed a lawsuit on Wednesday in state Supreme Court against 31 pharmaceutical companies that manufacture, distribute and prescribe opioids. -
Phila. has filed a suit against companies that prescribe opioids, responding to crisis
Jan 19, 2018 | The Daily Pennsylvanian (PA)
By Margaret Zhang
Philadelphia filed a lawsuit against certain pharmaceutical companies that prescribe opioids on Jan. 17 in Common Pleas Court, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. -
Philadelphia files opioid lawsuit against drugmakers
Jan 19, 2018 | Becker’s Hospital Review
By Brian Zimmerman
Philadelphia on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against drugmakers for their alleged role in contributing to the nation's ongoing opioid overdose and addiction crisis. The suit puts the city in league with a growing number of local and state governments taking similar actions, according to a report from CBS Philly. -
Opioid Special Master: 'This Litigation is a Multilevel Chess Game.'
Jan 19, 2018 | The National Law Journal
By Amanda Bronstad
A federal judge in Cleveland has appointed three special masters to help craft a settlement in the massive opioid litigation. One of them, Cathy Yanni, who works at JAMS in San Francisco, spoke to law.com about the complex case, which involves hundreds of cities, counties, states, Native American tribes and others that have sued manufacturers and distributors of the prescription painkillers. “This litigation is a multilevel chess game,” she said. -
Trump administration extending opioid emergency declaration
Jan 19, 2018 | Politico
By Brianna Ehley
The Trump administration is extending an emergency declaration for the opioid crisis after accomplishing little under the order since it was announced three months ago. -
Multicounty opioid lawsuit moves to ‘discovery’ phase
Jan 22, 2018 | The Spencer Daily Reporter (IA)
By Joseph Hopper
Assistant Clay County Attorney Barry Sackett updated county supervisors on the class action lawsuit Clay County is engaged in regarding the “opioid crisis” following a pretrial conference on Jan. 9. -
Bondi Weighs Legal Fight Against Opioid Makers, Distributors
Jan 19, 2018 | WUSF (FL)
By Staff
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday said Florida could soon pursue legal action against manufacturers and distributors of opioids. -
Fox 14 Your Morning News
Jan 22, 2018 | KARD (Fox)
By Monroe, LA
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/32167965?token=1dd3d7b8-5436-4136-991c-481eb16a3d70 -
Local 33 News Today
Jan 22, 2018 | WVLA (NBC)
By Baton Rouge, LA
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/32168125?token=1dd3d7b8-5436-4136-991c-481eb16a3d70 -
14 News Sunrise
Jan 22, 2018 | WFIE (NBC)
By Evansville, IN
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/32167973?token=1dd3d7b8-5436-4136-991c-481eb16a3d70 -
News 4 Today 6am
Jan 22, 2018 | WSMV (NBC)
By Nashville, TN
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/32168135?token=1dd3d7b8-5436-4136-991c-481eb16a3d70 -
Fox 45 Morning News
Jan 22, 2018 | BFF (Fox)
By Baltimore, MD
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/32168143?token=1dd3d7b8-5436-4136-991c-481eb16a3d70 -
CBS 6 News at 6a
Jan 22, 2018 | WRGB (CBS)
By Albany, NY
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/32168152?token=1dd3d7b8-5436-4136-991c-481eb16a3d70 -
Twin Tiers Weekly
Jan 22, 2018 | WETM (NBC)
By Elmira, NY
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/32168160?token=1dd3d7b8-5436-4136-991c-481eb16a3d70 -
New York Now
Jan 20, 2018 | WNET (PBS)
By New York, NY
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/32168202?token=1dd3d7b8-5436-4136-991c-481eb16a3d70 -
Flash Point
Jan 22, 2018 | KFOR (NBC)
By Oklahoma City, OK
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/32168184?token=1dd3d7b8-5436-4136-991c-481eb16a3d70 -
WBTW News13 at 11pm
Jan 19, 2018 | WBTW (CBS)
By Myrtle Beach, SC
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/32168233?token=1dd3d7b8-5436-4136-991c-481eb16a3d70
Delaware OAG Suit
Northeast
Commentary and FYIs
Broadcast Media Coverage
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Delaware Files Lawsuit Against Opioid Industry (PRESS RELEASE)
Jan 19, 2018 | Delaware OAG
By Delaware AG Matt Denn
On behalf of Delawareans, Attorney General Matt Denn filed suit Friday against some of the nation’s largest manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of prescription opioid drugs, alleging that their failures to meet their legal obligations have fueled an opioid addiction epidemic that is devastating individuals, families, and communities across Delaware.
The lawsuit seeks to hold them financially responsible for the harm they have caused to the State and its citizens and to require them to change their conduct to help end the epidemic.
“Opioid manufacturers misrepresented the addictive nature of their products. They, along with national opioid distributors and national pharmacies, knew that they were shipping quantities of opioids around the country so enormous that they could not possibly all be for legitimate medical purposes, but they failed to take basic steps to ensure that those drugs were going only to legitimate patients,” Attorney General Denn said. “These companies ignored red flags that opioids were being diverted from legitimate channels of distribution and use to illicit channels. The failure of these corporate defendants to meet their legal obligations has had a devastating impact on Delawareans.”
Delaware’s lawsuit cites statistics showing that, each year, more than 50 opioid pills are shipped into Delaware for every man, woman, and child in the state. When limited to persons – including those who received prescriptions for a week or less following minor medical procedures – who actually have used opioids, the estimated number is 440 pills per person per year.
The manufacturer defendants named in Delaware’s lawsuit are Purdue Pharma and Endo Pharmaceuticals. The distributor defendants named in the lawsuit are McKesson, Cardinal Health, Amerisource Bergen, Anda Pharmaceuticals, and H.D. Smith. The retailer defendants named in the lawsuit are CVS and Walgreens. Other defendants may be named in the future.
“The filing of this suit is an important step in what will likely be complex and time-intensive litigation against sophisticated national corporations,” Attorney General Denn said. “But these defendants must be held accountable for the damage that they have caused to our state and its citizens.”
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Delaware Sues Opioid Manufacturers, Distributors Over Epidemic
Jan 22, 2018 | Reuters
By Nate Raymond
Delaware on Friday became the latest state to file a lawsuit accusing corporations of helping fuel the national opioid epidemic, suing a wide range of companies involved in making, distributing and selling prescription painkillers.
The lawsuit, filed by Delaware Attorney General Matt Denn in a state court, targeted drugmakers Purdue Pharma LP and Endo International Plc along with several wholesale drug distributors and the retailers CVS Health Corp and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. The lawsuit accused Purdue and Endo of engaging in a massive marketing campaign aimed at concealing the risks of using opioids to treat chronic pain in order to overcome a medical consensus that using the drugs for that purpose was unsafe.
Distributors including McKesson Corp, Cardinal Health Inc and AmerisourceBergen Corp along with the two retailers ignored red flags indicating that opioids were being diverted for illicit uses, according to the lawsuit.
“The failure of these corporate defendants to meet their legal obligations has had a devastating impact on Delawareans,” Denn said in a statement.
Purdue, which produces OxyContin, and Endo, which last year withdrew Opana ER from the market, in separate statements said they denied the allegations but are concerned about opioid abuse.
AmerisourceBergen said it was dedicated to doing its part to mitigate the diversion of drugs. Cardinal Health said it would defend itself in court.
Other defendants in the lawsuit included Anda, a distributor owned by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Representatives for Anda and the other companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Opioids were involved in over 42,000 overdose deaths in 2016, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A wave of lawsuits by states, counties and cities have accused drugmakers of pushing addictive painkillers through deceptive marketing and wholesale distributors of failing to report suspicious drug orders.
A group of state attorneys general have been conducting a multistate investigation into whether companies that manufacture and distribute prescription opioids engaged in unlawful practices.
Increasingly, some attorneys general have decided to file lawsuits outside of the probe alone against the companies under scrutiny. At least 14 other states are pursuing opioid-related lawsuits against one or more the companies Delaware sued.
A federal judge in Ohio overseeing more than 200 lawsuits by cities, counties and others over the opioid epidemic recently reached out to some state attorneys general about meeting as he pushes for a quick settlement of the litigation.
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Delaware files lawsuit against opioid industry
Jan 19, 2018 | Smyrna-Clayton Sun-Times
By Staff
Attorney General Matt Denn filed suit Jan. 19 against some of the nation’s larger manufacturers, distributors and retailers of prescription opioid drugs, alleging that their failures to meet their legal obligations have fueled an opioid addiction epidemic that is affecting individuals, families and communities across Delaware.
The lawsuit is seeking to hold them financially responsible for the harm they have caused to the state and its citizens and to require them to change their conduct to help end the epidemic.
“Opioid manufacturers misrepresented the addictive nature of their products. They, along with national opioid distributors and national pharmacies, knew that they were shipping quantities of opioids around the country so enormous that they could not possibly all be for legitimate medical purposes, but they failed to take basic steps to ensure that those drugs were going only to legitimate patients,” said Denn. “These companies ignored red flags that opioids were being diverted from legitimate channels of distribution and use to illicit channels. The failure of these corporate defendants to meet their legal obligations has had a devastating impact on Delawareans.”
Delaware’s lawsuit cites statistics showing that, each year, more than 50 opioid pills are shipped into Delaware for every man, woman and child in the state. When limited to persons — including those who received prescriptions for a week or less following minor medical procedures — who actually have used opioids, the estimated number is 440 pills per person per year.
The manufacturer defendants named in Delaware’s lawsuit are Purdue Pharma and Endo Pharmaceuticals. The distributor defendants named in the lawsuit are McKesson, Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen, Anda Pharmaceuticals and H.D. Smith. The retailer defendants named in the lawsuit are CVS and Walgreens. Other defendants may be named in the future.
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Denn Sues Drug Companies Over Opioid Crisis
Jan 19, 2018 | Delaware Law Weekly (DE)
By Tom McParland
Delaware Attorney General Matt Denn on Friday sued a contingent of leading pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors in an effort to hold them accountable for their alleged role in the state’s opioid epidemic.
The 124-page complaint accuses the companies, including Purdue Pharma Inc., CVS Health Corp. and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., of using deceptive marketing tactics to increase opioid sales and failing to warn the public about the risk of addiction associated with powerful painkillers.
The suit, filed in Delaware Superior Court’s Complex Commercial Litigation Division, seeks $10,000 from each of the defendants for violations of the Delaware Consumer Fraud Act, as well as compensatory damages to reimburse the state for the cost of battling the crisis.
“Opioid manufacturers misrepresented the addictive nature of their products,” Denn said in a statement announcing the lawsuit.
“They, along with national opioid distributors and national pharmacies, knew that they were shipping quantities of opioids around the country so enormous that they could not possibly all be for legitimate medical purposes, but they failed to take basic steps to ensure that those drugs were going only to legitimate patients.”
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AG Matt Denn takes on Big Pharma in opioid lawsuit
Jan 19, 2018 | The News Journal (DE)
By Brittany Horn
The state Attorney General's Office is taking on Big Pharma –– drug manufacturers, distributors and drug stores –– who get powerful, painkilling opioid drugs into the hands of Delawareans, according to a lawsuit filed Friday.
The filing details the ways in which manufacturing companies like Purdue Pharma and Endo Pharmaceuticals knowingly misled doctors and consumers of opioids, saying they weren't powerfully addictive and dangerous to the consumer.
That omission, and the subsequent distribution and prescription of those drugs to the larger population, resulted in the death of 694 Delawareans between from 2007 to 2016 specifically from prescription opioid-related overdoses, the lawsuit claims. One hundred and twelve of those were from 2016 alone.
"The misconduct of defendants, including their consistent failure to comply with their legal obligations, has led to an epidemic of prescription opioid abuse in Delaware," the lawsuit states.
In addition to the continued loss of life, Delaware also suffers a loss of about $100 million annually in resources for healthcare, criminal justice, social services and education – all of which have been impacted by the opioid epidemic, according to the lawsuit. Recovering those dollars is a portion of the "request for relief" in the state's filing.
Besides a trial by jury, the state is seeking a cease-and-desist order for the manufacturers and distributors, monetary damages for the increased costs to numerous Delaware systems impacted by the epidemic, penalties for violating Delaware Code, and "the cost of lost productivity and lower tax revenue" for the state.
An exact dollar amount is not provided because it depends on the number of false claims and wrongdoings that the state can prove.
Delaware's lawsuit isn't the first of its kind in America to challenge Big Pharma's role in the opioid – and subsequently, heroin – epidemic. But it challenges the role that distributors of these drugs, like McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health Inc., AmerisourceBergen Corporation, Anda Pharmaceuticals Inc., and H.D. Smith, along with pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., played in filling forged prescriptions and not cracking down on the high requests for pills.
Many Americans became addicted to pain pills as doctors began prescribing them more frequently. When law enforcement and federal regulations cracked down on the pills, demand for a substance that would provide the same results skyrocketed.
Because drugs like oxycodone and Percocet have high dollar values on the street, some turned to heroin, which was far cheaper. The federal Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that one bag of heroin costs between $5 to $10 in Delaware, making it cheaper than a beer in some local bars.
Similarly, the illegal use of prescription drugs continues to have impact.
According to the lawsuit, 860,000 opioid prescriptions are issued in Delaware each year – almost one prescription per Delaware resident – but "studies suggest that as many as 110,000 of those prescriptions are diverted to non-medical uses."
"In the past few years, Delaware has seen annual distribution exceeding 50 pills per resident and 440 pills per opioid user," according to Drug Enforcement Administration data cited in the filing.
What's new about these lawsuits is the naming of pharmacies and their role in getting prescription drugs into the hands of people who, according to the lawsuit, submit forged prescriptions or whose behavior would flag the state's prescription drug monitoring system.
CVS Pharmacy, which is named in the lawsuit, also partners with the state to distribute the overdose-reversing drug, naloxone. This initiative went into effect late last year, allowing more people to access naloxone in a local pharmacy rather than by attending a community training event.
The company, according to the state's lawsuit, has also paid out millions in settlements for its prescribing practices.
Similarly, Walgreens partners with the state for the placement of drug take-back boxes in locations throughout Delaware.
There's been a recent push for lawsuits of this sort, specifically by counties and states most impacted by the heroin and opioid epidemic. Just last month, Cecil County officials announced their intent to also file a lawsuit for the reimbursement of monies lost in fighting the opioid epidemic.
In the past, these pharmaceutical companies have shelled out millions in settlements. Purdue Pharma paid some $600 million after a 2007 ruling against the company, showing they knowingly misled doctors and consumers.
As recently as August 2017, Purdue settled for more than $20 million with multiple Canadian plaintiffs over claims that "the company failed to warn about the dangers of OxyContin, including its addictive properties," according to the lawsuit.
But as state Attorney General Matt Denn points out in the court filing, it has done little to curb the continued production and distribution of these drugs.
These manufacturing companies "have engaged in a multi-million dollar marketing campaign to minimize and misstate the risks of addiction and abuse when prescription opioids are used to treat chronic pain," according to the state's case.
The complaint cites training that Purdue held in the late 1990s and early 2000s during which addiction was described to doctors as "exquisitely rare," and notes information on the company's website as recently as last year that indicates their own knowledge about the drugs' addictive powers.
A letter posted on the company's website explains how Purdue is looking to fight the opioid epidemic, citing the development of opioids with "abuse-deterrent properties."
"As we continue to fight the prescription opioid and illicit substance abuse crisis, we are applying our resources and our best scientific minds to discover and develop new, non-opioid pain medicines for patients," according to the letter.
Already this year, Delaware has lost eight people to suspected drug overdoses – and, as documented by The News Journal, the epidemic's toll of Delaware is nearly impossible to quantify.
Gov. John Carney mentioned the epidemic in his State of the State Address Thursday, noting that though strides have been made, there will be more reforms coming under the oversight of Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long.
"We strengthened oversight of opioid prescriptions, expanded access to substance abuse treatment and better coordinated our efforts to help those battling addiction," Carney said.
But what many refer to as the public health crisis of this generation continues to ravage the state.
"Adverse social outcomes include child neglect, family dysfunction, babies born addicted to opioids, criminal behavior, poverty, property damage, unemployment, and social despair," according to the lawsuit. "As a result, more and more of Delaware’s resources and those of its counties and municipalities are devoted to addiction-related problems."
"Meanwhile, the prescription opioid crisis diminishes Delaware’s available workforce, decreases productivity, increases poverty, and consequently requires greater State and local expenditures."
And, according to the state and many others, the negligence of Big Pharma and the companies that work with them are to blame.
In previous interviews, Denn has pointed to the families of those who have lost their battle with addiction as reasons for undertaking this effort as Attorney General.
"No person can meet those people and see that and not feel compelled to try and do something about it," Denn said.
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Municipal leaders to announce legal action in the fight against opioid crisis
Jan 21, 2018 | Associated Press (RI)
By Staff
Democratic Lt. Gov. Dan McKee and several Rhode Island communities plan to announce legal action against companies that officials say are responsible for the proliferation of prescription opioids in the state.
McKee’s office says the “joint initiative” will be announced on Monday.
The mayors of Warwick, Central Falls, Pawtucket, North Providence, Cumberland and Johnston were slated to participate, along with municipal officials from East Providence and Richmond.
Nationally, more than a dozen states and more than 200 municipalities have filed lawsuits accusing drug makers of contributing to the deadly opioid addiction crisis. The companies have denied wrongdoing.
Fall River, Massachusetts announced this week it planned to sue opioid producers and distributors, and Springfield said it had retained a law firm to represent the city in litigation against pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors.
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Fall River to sue “Big Pharmaceutical” companies over opioids
Jan 19, 2018 | WPRO News (RI)
By Steve Klamkin
Calling drug overdose deaths “a crisis that is plaguing our residents… literally killing people in our streets”, Fall River Mayor Jasiel Corriea II said Friday the city will sue big pharmaceutical companies.
“There is no doubt in my mind that there is a connection between big pharmaceutical companies and the direct result of people in our city dying in our streets because they’re addicted to heroin and other opiates that are being pushed by drug dealers,” said Correia, a Democrat. He was flanked by the city’s legal counsel and lawyers from a Boston law firm.
He said that the law firm Motley Rice, known for litigation against tobacco companies which ended in a national, master settlement in 1998 would pursue as-yet unnamed pharmaceutical makers and distributors in federal courts.
“The City of Fall River responded to 919 opiate overdoses last year, with police and Emergency Medical Services last year,” said Beth Faunce, Deputy Director of the city’s EMS and the head of the Fall River Opioid Task Force.
She said the law suit could help in the city’s fight against overdose deaths, adding “If we can get more treatment facilities and access to beds, that would certainly help.”
Fall River had 63 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2016, the latest full year for which complete figures are available.
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Saratoga County sues more than 30 pharmaceutical companies
Jan 21, 2018 | The Daily Gazette (NY)
By Ann Friedman
Saratoga County filed a lawsuit on Wednesday in state Supreme Court against 31 pharmaceutical companies that manufacture, distribute and prescribe opioids.
Saratoga County joins Schenectady County, which also filed a state Supreme Court lawsuit in June against more than a dozen major pharmacy companies.
The county, which announced plans to pursue the lawsuit three months ago, chose New York City-based law firm Napoli Shkolnik PLLC as its legal representation.
In December, The Washington Post reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that American life expectancy at birth had declined for the second consecutive year in 2016, mainly due to the 21 percent increase in drug overdose deaths.
Ed Kinowski, chairman of the county's Board of Supervisors, has made addressing the opioid crisis a top priority.
"We all recognize that the drug overdose problem is a public health problem, and it needs to be addressed on a level beyond what we are currently able to provide through our law enforcement, mental health and public health departments," Kinowski said at a Jan. 2 Board of Supervisors meeting.
"In 2018, we will be doing everything within our power to hold the drug manufacturers and distributors that have recklessly engaged in behaviors that have caused this epidemic accountable for their actions."
On Tuesday, the day before the lawsuit was filed, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to adopt a proposed local law declaring the opioid epidemic as a public nuisance.
The law also seeks to establish a cost-recovery procedure for the county to recoup expenses from combatting the epidemic.
“The opioid epidemic continues to hit too close to home here in Saratoga County," said Steven Dorsey, Saratoga County attorney, in a statement. “This local law is another step the county is taking to protect our residents from the dangers of these drugs, and allows the county to recover costs associated with the prevention, treatment, recovery and public safety expenses caused by the opioids crisis.”
Kevin Tollisen, chair of the county's Law and Finance Committee and town supervisor in Halfmoon, said the law would help the county with its pending litigation against pharmaceutical companies.
"We have a responsibility to taxpayers on how we spend our money and the county should be reimbursed for the extraordinary resources it's using to combat this problem," he said. "It's a public health issue."
Tollisen added that he has organized several educational forums in his town on opioids to educate the public.
"It's about getting information out there to say 'This is a problem,'" he said. "It won't go away if we don't work together."
Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo, like Tollisen, said education is one of the key factors to combating the opioid epidemic.
"I've held five heroin and opioid forums since January of last year and we're hosting another one in February," he said. "We need to get the word out."
Zurlo added that having deputies travel to schools across the county to educate students on the dangers of drugs and hosting drug buyback days where residents can dispose of prescriptions also help.
The county's proposed opioid law is a step in the right direction, according to Zurlo.
"I consider the heroin and opioid problem an epidemic and I see it on a daily basis," he said. "We need to use every tool we have available to fight this problem.
"It sends a message to pharmaceutical companies that we won't put up with the over-selling of prescription drugs and to drug dealers that once you're arrested, we'll come after you."
Last year, Zurlo said there were close to 30 drug overdose deaths in Saratoga County compared to 25 in 2016.
"That number is rising," he said. "We can't arrest our way out of this; we need all hands on deck."
A public hearing on the proposed opioid law will be held on Feb. 14 at 4:30 p.m. in the meeting room of the Board of Supervisors at 40 McMaster St., Ballston Spa.
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Phila. has filed a suit against companies that prescribe opioids, responding to crisis
Jan 19, 2018 | The Daily Pennsylvanian (PA)
By Margaret Zhang
Philadelphia filed a lawsuit against certain pharmaceutical companies that prescribe opioids on Jan. 17 in Common Pleas Court, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
In doing so, Philadelphia is seeking to halt deceptive marketing practices and to demand drug companies to not only pay for opioid-related treatment costs, but also to reimburse the city for the money that it has spent trying to alleviate the epidemic, according to 6ABC.
Pennsylvania has the fourth-highest overdose death rate in the nation, and Philadelphia officials estimated drug overdose deaths reached 1,200 last year. Additionally, one in three adults in Philadelphia have been prescribed an opioid in the last 12 months and one in four families in Philadelphia have been touched by the crisis in some way, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
The city has joined a large group of communities — including those in California, Illinois, Ohio, and Kentucky — who are also suing similar opioid makers, the Pittsburg Post-Gazette reported.
“The opioid crisis is the largest public health crisis this city has seen in a century, and it has been fueled by drug companies," Philadelphia Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said to NBC Philadelphia. “It’s well past time for those companies to stop pushing these drugs and start helping us cope with the human tragedy they have caused.”
In the past few years, Penn researchers have studied opioid-related deaths and have worked with Philadelphia programs on fighting this epidemic. A recent Penn study recommends emergency department doctors to limit the electronic medical records system to a default of 10 opioid pills — about a three-day supply — to prescribe smaller doses of opioid medications.
Penn faculty members also participated in Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney’s task force last year to “combat the opioid epidemic in Philadelphia.”
Named companies include Cephalon, Allergen, Johnson & Johnson, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Perdue Pharmaceuticals, Endo Pharmaceuticals and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, among others, the Pittsburg Post-Gazette reported.
This lawsuit arrives seven days after Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf declared Pennsylvania's opioid and heroin addiction crisis a statewide disaster emergency. This enables officials of Pennsylvania — which has the fourth-highest overdose death rate in the United States — to pursue reforms that may have been regulated in the past.
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Philadelphia files opioid lawsuit against drugmakers
Jan 19, 2018 | Becker’s Hospital Review
By Brian Zimmerman
Philadelphia on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against drugmakers for their alleged role in contributing to the nation's ongoing opioid overdose and addiction crisis. The suit puts the city in league with a growing number of local and state governments taking similar actions, according to a report from CBS Philly.
The 160-page lawsuit alleges the companies engaged in deceptive marketing techniques to promote the widespread use of opioids and seeks to recoup city funds spent addressing the crisis.
"City agencies have incurred tremendous and avoidable costs trying to combat this crisis and because it is our duty to protect the public from further harm, I believe we have no other choice but to file this lawsuit," City Solicitor Sozi Tulante said Wednesday, according to CBS Philly.
The lawsuit names Allergan Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Endo International, Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson and subsidiaries of these companies as defendants. In statements cited in the report, each company expressed concern regarding the opioid crisis, but also distanced themselves from the issue to "varying degrees," according to CBS Philly.
City Health Commissioner Tom Farley, MD, said Wednesday he expects the 2017 drug overdose death toll to surpass 1,200 once all the cases have been analyzed. The city has the highest drug overdose rate per capita of all major U.S. cities, according to The Inquirer.
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Opioid Special Master: 'This Litigation is a Multilevel Chess Game.'
Jan 19, 2018 | The National Law Journal
By Amanda Bronstad
A federal judge in Cleveland has appointed three special masters to help craft a settlement in the massive opioid litigation. One of them, Cathy Yanni, who works at JAMS in San Francisco, spoke to law.com about the complex case, which involves hundreds of cities, counties, states, Native American tribes and others that have sued manufacturers and distributors of the prescription painkillers. “This litigation is a multilevel chess game,” she said.
This story has been edited for length and clarity.
Law.com: U.S. District Judge Dan Polster appointed you, Cleveland’s David Cohen and Francis McGovern of Duke Law as special masters. Why do you think you were chosen for the opioid litigation?
Cathy Yanni: In my case, I was Judge Polster’s special master in the gadolinium case, which was an MDL he was involved in two or three years ago. We settled 1,000 cases together in Cleveland. So we’ve worked together a lot. He asked plaintiffs and defendants to propose names of who they thought would be good special masters for this case, and our three names—my name, Francis’ name and David Cohen’s name—were the only names that appeared on both lists.
Have you worked with Francis McGovern or David Cohen before?
I’ve worked with both of them. They’re both fabulous, very collaborative, and all three of us have been president of the Academy of Court Appointed Masters, which is an organization put together by special masters for special masters. Francis and I have worked together on other cases—silicone gel breast implants and Skechers. And David and I collaborated when we were working with the Academy of Court Appointed Masters.
What role do you see each of you playing as special masters?
The best way to look at it is we’re going to assist Judge Polster in any way that we can. And each of us is going to work together to help him with the resolution of the opioid situation. Apparently, there are other cases where there have been multiple special masters. I know Francis mentioned in the BP case and apparently in Actos. It’s not that unusual. Oftentimes, there’s a person who does the special master for case management and discovery issues, and then a settlement special master, and I specialize in the settlement aspect. In this case, we’re all focused on settlement, so it’s a little different.
What else is unique about the opioid case?
First of all, it’s a national crisis. Second of all, there are many more plaintiffs groups, many more defendant groups. It’s a more complicated landscape than many normal pharmaceutical litigations where you have the plaintiffs and claimants versus a single manufacturer, or maybe two or three manufacturers. This litigation is a multilevel chess game.
The other unusual part of this case is just the number of agencies and political different federal agencies and state agencies. The number of people who are part of the governmental interests is significantly larger than in any case I’ve been involved in.
How could that impact your job?
It increases the amount of time we have to spend getting people involved in the process. So it’s a lot of people I suspect we’ll work with who are not part of the legal system every day, like in most MDLS, or in most cases I mediate. These are people who are working in a small city or county. They’re working for their constituents. To me, it’s more hands-on work with the parties.
What do you think needs to happen for a settlement in this case to occur?
We need to get everyone together who’s a stakeholder and start discussions with what is their view of how we abate the opioid crisis and how do we implement a solution. So it’s almost starting at the end and working backward. Everyone involved in this case agrees we need a global solution and, as Judge Polster has said, people are dying every day. We need to do something now.
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Trump administration extending opioid emergency declaration
Jan 19, 2018 | Politico
By Brianna Ehley
The Trump administration is extending an emergency declaration for the opioid crisis after accomplishing little under the order since it was announced three months ago.
A notice posted to the HHS website Friday said acting Secretary Eric Hargan would extend the public health emergency, which was originally declared in late October. The order was originally set to expire Tuesday.
The designation gives federal health agencies the authority to quickly hire more treatment specialists and reallocate money to strengthen the response to the epidemic that killed more than 42,000 Americans in 2016.
"This is further evidence of the Trump administration’s strong, ongoing commitment to addressing this crisis and protecting the health and well-being of the American people," a HHS spokesperson said Friday evening.
But public health experts contend that the emergency declaration so far has produced very little of consequence. President Donald Trump has not proposed new funding or resources to help states respond to the crisis, and his administration has yet to launch the massive media campaign he promised in October.
Trump also has not yet named top officials to lead key agencies combating the crisis, and POLITICO reported Thursday that he plans to propose cutting the Office of National Drug Control Policy's 2019 budget by 95 percent.
The administration has taken steps outside of the emergency declaration to respond to the crisis, including updating guidance on how states can expand access to inpatient treatment under Medicaid, advancing research into non-opioid pain medication at NIH and clarifying how doctors can share substance abuse information without violating privacy laws. The CDC has also launched an awareness campaign to educate people about addiction.
Some public health experts said renewing the emergency declaration would be helpful if the Trump administration dedicates new funding.
"We are hopeful the administration and Congress will use this renewal to focus on getting new dollars to states to scale up treatment, recovery and prevention programs," said Mike Fraser, executive director of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
Public health emergencies, under the Public Health Service Act, must be declared by the HHS secretary — or in this case, the acting secretary, with HHS lacking a permanent leader since Tom Price's resignation in September.
Last week, a White House official told POLITICO it was Hargan's decision whether to extend the public health emergency.
The new declaration will last until April 23.
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Multicounty opioid lawsuit moves to ‘discovery’ phase
Jan 22, 2018 | The Spencer Daily Reporter (IA)
By Joseph Hopper
Assistant Clay County Attorney Barry Sackett updated county supervisors on the class action lawsuit Clay County is engaged in regarding the “opioid crisis” following a pretrial conference on Jan. 9.
Sackett said that the lawsuit has moved into “discovery” phase, where parties gather information and both parties to settle are allowed the opportunity to settle.
“... They had the first hearing with the federal judge last week ... the judge says ‘What’s happening in our country with the opioid crisis is present and ongoing, I did a little math, we are losing more than 50,000 of our citizens every year and about 150 Americans are going to die today — just today while we’re meeting.” Sackett said. “So my objective is to do something meaningful to abate this crisis and do it in 2018.
“He goes on to tell the parties that he’s not going to rule on anything initially ... we’re going to open up discovery which is the expensive part of litigation, and if you guys want to kill each other you will, and you will have drawn a lot of blood, but what I’d rather see is real solutions and real settlement to address the problem that’s going on.’ He was very clear in his message which I think is very good for us.”
According to documentation from the pretrial conference, an additional conference for various representatives parties and relevant third-parties to exchange information will be conducted at the end of the month “to further pursue settlement discussions.” Documentation also stated, “the court solicited and obtained the consensus of counsel to focus everyone’s present efforts on abatement and remediation of the opioid crisis rather than pointing fingers and litigating legal issues.”
Sackett told supervisors the suit has the potential to save lives.
“I shared with Burlin (Matthews, supervisor,) conversations I’ve had with the federal attorney in Cedar Rapids and he kind of went through how the opioid crisis has progressed in eastern Iowa over the last three years, the numbers are pretty startling,” Sackett said. “I don’t think we’ve seen those numbers yet, so we can get some meaningful action through this prior to that we can really save some lives.
“... I think that’s about as good as we can get from the judge as far as his directions, (telling) everybody to not play lawyer’s games and actually get to work and figure out some solutions to the issues.”
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Bondi Weighs Legal Fight Against Opioid Makers, Distributors
Jan 19, 2018 | WUSF (FL)
By Staff
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday said Florida could soon pursue legal action against manufacturers and distributors of opioids.
Bondi is working with a coalition of state attorneys general in seeking information about the distribution, marketing and sale of opioids from major manufacturers and distributors.
The state hasn’t filed suit. But Bondi’s agency last week posted a request for proposal seeking legal services from a private law firm to serve as co-counsel in “various legal matters relating to the opioid crisis.”
Also, Trish Conners, a Florida chief deputy attorney general, will be at a Jan. 31 meeting with Cleveland federal judge Dan Polster, who is overseeing upward of 200 lawsuits filed against the manufacturers of drugs such as OxyContin and Percocet.
When asked whether she would hold the companies responsible for their actions, Bondi said, “Absolutely. Are you kidding? Look at what we are facing in this state. I’m over them. Over them. They need to fix their conduct.”
Numerous states and local governments, including Delray Beach, have filed lawsuits alleging that manufacturers overstated the benefits of opioids while downplaying the risk of addiction. Other Florida cities that are considering filing suits, according to the Sun Sentinel newspaper, include Palm Beach and Broward counties.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Richard Corcoran told The News Service of Florida last week that although he hasn’t researched the details, he would lean toward litigation.
“Whether it’s cities, counties or state, my inclination would be: Why wouldn’t we? And I would have to be talked out of it as opposed to the other way around,” Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, said when asked about potential legal action.
Opioids are commonly used to treat acute and chronic pain. But abuse of the drugs has become rampant in recent years in Florida. In 2016, there were 5,725 deaths attributed to opioids, a 35 percent jump from the previous year. More than 4,000 babies were born addicted to opioids in Florida that year, a 1,000 percent increase from a decade ago.
The staggering statistics have put the opioid crisis front and center for many lawmakers and Gov. Rick Scott, who has pushed to spend $53 million during the coming year on substance-abuse treatment, including medication-assisted treatment that pairs prescription drugs with counseling and other services.
A Senate health-care panel this week approved a proposal (SB 8) that includes $42 million for outpatient services; residential treatment; medication-assisted treatment, peer recovery support; hospital and first-responder outreach; and services targeted to pregnant women. The bill includes another $6 million for substance-abuse treatment for people in the criminal justice system.
Bondi gave the Senate credit for providing money and called $53 million a “good start.” But she said that “we need much more money for treatment.”
When pressed for what she thought would be an appropriate amount, she replied, “I can’t even give you one because the numbers are so outrageous.”
She said money is needed because the costs for treatment are expensive and that there are a lot of Floridians who simply cannot afford it.
“A lot of people don’t have the insurance, so that’s why it’s so important that people get the treatment. Otherwise, it’s still going to be a revolving door,” she said.
Treatment for opioids would have been covered under a Medicaid expansion under the federal health care law commonly called Obamacare, according to a Kaiser report.
But Bondi helped lead a legal challenge against the law, including a provision that would have mandated states to expand Medicaid. The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately ruled that the federal government couldn’t withhold money from states that didn’t expand Medicaid to childless adults earning 138 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $20,783 annually for an individual.
Bondi supports seven-day limits on opioids that are in pending House and Senate bills. Surgeons have expressed concerns that some patients may need more than seven days’ worth of pain medications and that the policy could result in longer hospitalizations.
But Bondi said the restrictions are necessary.
“We have to interfere with how many pills these doctors are prescribing,” she said, sharing the story of a recent discovery of two people who were given a 90-day supplies of OxyContin after they had what she described as minor outpatient surgery.
“They didn’t need all that,” she said adding that both people saw the same physician. “I’m disgusted with what he did.”
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Jan 22, 2018 | KARD (Fox)
By Monroe, LA
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/32167965?token=1dd3d7b8-5436-4136-991c-481eb16a3d70
Rough Transcript: an important topic on the agenda at el dorado's city council meeting thursday night. the city council has been asked to help fight the opioid crisis. the arkansas municipal league is asking all cities in the natural state to get on board. the organization is planning to investigate companies that distribute opiods including: johnson and johnson, watson laboratories and several others. they want the municipalities to endorse the engagement letter that was sent to them. (frank hash/ mayor of el dorado) "it doesn't cost the city anything to support this. the city is not liable for any of the litagation process. it just shows unity in concern." (michelle) the mayor says this was only a discussion for the city council, and they've yet to vote on any action.
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Jan 22, 2018 | WVLA (NBC)
By Baton Rouge, LA
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/32168125?token=1dd3d7b8-5436-4136-991c-481eb16a3d70
Rough Transcript: it's over the opioid cris. local 33's harrison golden has the latest episode between the democratic governor attorney general. harrison? "you know what the problem here is? it's that the governor, being a lawyer, wants to be the attorney general and the governor. he should decide. he could've run for attorney general. he didn't. he decided to run for governor"landry says the edwards administration was out of line in september when it filed a lawsuitthrough the state's health department against more than a dozen drug companies. the health department's lawsuit accuses the drugmakers of "an orchestrated campaign to flood louisiana with highly addictive and dangerous opioids" to boost profits.to file this suit in the dark of night without consulting the chief legal officer of the landry wants to cover state education, corrections, social services impacted by the abuse epidemic. louisiana averages more opioid prescriptions than it has residents."the governor's involvement, and the way they have brought this suit endangers the ability for the state to recover the damages that the people of this state who have been affected by this cris 7:39 AMdeserve."the edwards team says more agencies ?should? join the case has no constitutional power to take control."what the attorney general is trying to say is only he can decide, only he can look at these issues and make the terminations for the department without any consultation with the governor, without any consultation with any of the agencies involved."landry argues that lawsuits from other states regarding opioids have often stood in the attorney general's purview. he tells the governor that louisiana should be no different."i would appreciate if he would stay in his capacity as the governor over the course of the next two years and allow me to represent the state as the chief legal officer of the state."the attorney general's been mum on rumors of he, himself, running for governor next year. but those on the governor's legal team say a landry challenge would not surprise them."we're going into an election year next year, and i'm sure that's all a part of what's going on." with both arguments heard... judge wilson fields at the nineteenth judicial court says he will make his ruling february 20th.
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Jan 22, 2018 | WFIE (NBC)
By Evansville, IN
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/32167973?token=1dd3d7b8-5436-4136-991c-481eb16a3d70
Rough Transcript: kentucky attorney general andy beshear will announce new actions to fight the opioid epidemic. he has a news conference scheduled for this morning at the state captiol in frankfort. beshear's office hasn't said what the new actions he'll announce today, but the attorney general's office has launched several efforts in the past. those efforts include a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies that make opioids... urging doctors to promote other pain management treatments... and creating a prescription disposal program, where people can easily get rid of excess painkillers.
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Jan 22, 2018 | WSMV (NBC)
By Nashville, TN
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/32168135?token=1dd3d7b8-5436-4136-991c-481eb16a3d70
Rough Transcript: governor bill haslam will be at the capitol to talk about tennessee's plan to fight opioid addiction. thats where we find news four's rebecca cardenas with what the governor is expected to announce. thats where we find news four's rebecca cardenas with what the governor is expected to announce tennessee is one of the hardest hit states by this cris. 6-thousand people have died in the lat five years at the hand of painkiller addiction. and while a lot of people were getting those illegally, plenty of them were getting them legally. its why metro nashville is suing manufacturers of prescription opioids. speaker of the house beth harwell will be here with the governor for today's announcement. shes running to succeed haslam. last year she created a house task force to fight the epidemic. the governor will also talk about resources for treatment prevention and law enforcement
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Jan 22, 2018 | BFF (Fox)
By Baltimore, MD
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/32168143?token=1dd3d7b8-5436-4136-991c-481eb16a3d70
Rough Transcript: take the fight to the opioid manufacturers. 7:15 AMtaking your voice to the meeting if you can't go to the meeting yourself. here for the your voice segment. county executive barry glassman. >> good morning. >> i want to talk about the opioid fight. are you going after someone else not just the users but it's manufacturers. >> we are joining other maryland counties to actually sue the manufacturers and distributors of opioids. we probably have damages in the multimillion dollars already between treatment, law enforcement, and we are going to join in this national suit against the manufacturers and distributors there is testimony and evidence that as far back as 10 to 12 years ago there was kind of a plan to begin pushing these prescription and the opioids and fentanyl into the pain release system. > they know it's so adidn'ting. that was the cause for it. this is different lets say cigarettes or tobacco. how does that separate out. >> it's a similar multiclass system lawsuit that will go across the country. it is similar in some of the corporate planning and how this filtered its way down to prescriptions and to the patient. >>
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Jan 22, 2018 | WRGB (CBS)
By Albany, NY
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/32168152?token=1dd3d7b8-5436-4136-991c-481eb16a3d70
Rough Transcript: in saratoga county the county filed a lawsuit in state supreme court against 31 pharmaceutical companies that manufacture, distribute and prescribe opioids. that is according to the media partners at the daily gazette. they joined snect dip county that filed a lawsuit in june against more than a dozen major companies.
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Jan 22, 2018 | WETM (NBC)
By Elmira, NY
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/32168160?token=1dd3d7b8-5436-4136-991c-481eb16a3d70
Rough Transcript: you know, one of the things that i think really is going to drive politics in this area, in 11:13 AMthe twin tiers area, is going to be what happens with the opiod epidemic. and right now, we don't see a lot of action at the federal level with respect to the opioid crisis. president trump has talked a lot about it, but he's actually cut funding for treatment facilities in his budget. we are starting to see some movement at the state level. binghamton is going to get a new treatment facility. we're starting to see some conversations all across the southern tier. i know that steuben county has now joined in a litigation against the pharmaceutical industry for how the pharmaceutical industry has perpetuated this opioid crisis. so i think that that is going to be a real conversation topic. who's actually got an agenda that's going to address these thousands and thousands of people who are dying all across the county, and who's in the pocket of big pharma, and taking those campaign contributions, and making sure that the legislation does not actually hit them. well, unfortunately, it tends to be the republicans right now who are running the show in washington. >> well, it's clearly that on the state and local level especially, the opioid epidemic 11:14 AMis brutal here, locally. we just had an information session with the legislature, with the chemung county sheriff's department, who has an opioid program. it's -- i mean, it really opened my eyes to the problems we have here in chemung county. and i know it's all that way, all over the southern tier. but i think that we are beginning to tackle that problem, and as i go out and talk to my constituents and people in chemung county, that is a major issue with them, this opioid epidemic. and it seems to be hitting chemung county especially hard. there's so much of the abuse here in chemung county that we're leading the state, i believe, in the abuse. and it's -- it definitely is an issue that's going to come up. i'm sure in the county executive's race. >> won't there be a question though of who's going to end up paying for it? >> it is going to be a question, and it's going to be a real challenge in the state budget, because right now, the state budget is going to run a deficit because of the --you know, the tax bill which raised new yorker's taxes, and it's funneling money away from new york to other states. governor cuomo and his state of the state is proposing a property tax decrease, and you know, he's wrestling with ways that we're going to address the fact that the federal government is taking money away from new york, and raising new yorker's taxes at the same time. that's going to be a real challenge when we look at addressing things like the opioid epidemic, and how our county is going to care for their people when there isn't money because it's being funneled away at the top.
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Jan 20, 2018 | WNET (PBS)
By New York, NY
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/32168202?token=1dd3d7b8-5436-4136-991c-481eb16a3d70
Rough Transcript: let's talk about the taxes, the opioid prescription pill tax. how would that work? >> basically a tax on per mill graham. so it works by just taxing each pill basically. the manufacturers have to pay it. it's not necessarily -- it raises money to fund the cost associated with the opioid epidemic. >> like a dedicated fund? >> it offsets our cost. we are spending over $200 million this year on the epidemic. it is also we want to discourage opioid use similar to a tax on cigarettes. if it gets too expensive to use the drugs perhaps they will move on to less addictive drugs. >> you mentioned the tax on cigarettes. the consumer usually ends up paying that. you say you are taxing the manufacturers but probably consumers have to pay for this. there are people who legitima legitimately need to take the drugs. >> we have limitations that we did last year to control the cost of drugs, as well. we think the manufacturers would likely have to eat it and pay for it.
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Jan 22, 2018 | KFOR (NBC)
By Oklahoma City, OK
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/32168184?token=1dd3d7b8-5436-4136-991c-481eb16a3d70
Rough Transcript: your battle with drug makers taking them to court and mike said the first trial dates actually set between the drugmaker. we have kelsey, a story on this. let's take a look and listen, okay? drugs destroyed my life in so many different fashions, my family life, spiritual life, understands the battle of addiction and struggled for years with a meth mac-method- methamphetamines addiction for gore did 11m federal prison up for drug-related crimes directly, 10:44 AMbut they were related to drugs. now turned his life around and helping other addictions opioid use through sober living. halfway house and helping as well. i have noticed that getting people away from opioids is a much more complex adventure than other drugs. in 2017, trying to take many drug companies to court, there has been damaged to the state. and the 2 sides met in court in cleveland county to set a trial date. pushing for may 2019. but while years with the pharmaceutical companies are killing not enough time to prepare a. we have done everything we need to do to provide them. >> this is not a federal case. the jury to decide and the drug companies to pay up. my hope would be something for 10:45 AMthe tobacco settlement with trust in the dash and the end come close those programs. , they see this as a sp in the right direction. completely taken over the lives of so many oklahomans. i don't think it is inappropriate at all to take action to correct what has gone wrong. okay, and they're how you so we reported this and obviously talking about the lawsuit. they misrepresented the addictive quality of their drugs . tell me a more about that. that is the basis of our lawsuit . there is a systematic- misrepresentation of the addictive quality of opioids to doctors. for decades, doctors have been 10:46 AMable to rely on the good research of the pharmaceuticals but in this situation, they set out systematically as i said, the drug companies, the drug manufacturers to come up with pseudoscience and take people that-to tell ople opioids are not addictive but in fact they are. they killed thousands of people last year. more people died from opioid overdoses-overdoses than vietnam where. we are talking about- >> ground zero pretty close. and the average about a thousand oklahomans have died from opioid overdoses the last three years. and 14 counties surrounding told seth come enough opioids preside to-prescribed every man woman and child. let's talk a little bit really quick. you're coming after them as well . pill mills. we will set that up and let the attorney general mike hunter talk about pill mills. perhaps you or somebody you love them fault in some addiction issues with opioids,
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Jan 19, 2018 | WBTW (CBS)
By Myrtle Beach, SC
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/32168233?token=1dd3d7b8-5436-4136-991c-481eb16a3d70
Rough Transcript: marion county filed a federal lawsuit against three major medical companies. the lawsuit says there are more opioid prescriptions in the county... than there are people. meghan: the 40 page lawsuit accuses the companies of "letha overshipments" of prescription drugs... and claims that helped fuel the opioid epidemic. the lawsuit says the companies were supposed to report suspicious drug orders like unsusal size... abnormal patterns... or unusual freqency... to the d-e-a -- but didn't. the suit asks for the companies to pay for the cost of the opioid epidemic... including first responder expenses and the cost to stop it. "many of the clients do start off with prescriptions. once that drug is no longer available they do buy the drugs off the streets and that can be scary." meghan: news13 did reach out to each company... and all say do properly monitor for suspicious shipments. to read their full statements... look for this story at wbtw.com. meghan: we checked c-d-c data... and found other areas in our region with more opioid prescriptions than people. darlington county has the worst rate in our area...with 152 opioid presciptions for every hundred people. florence county's rate, 136.. and horry county.. 110. the best rate in our area is marlboro county... with 106 presciptions for every hundred people.
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