Walgreens, one of the largest drugstore chains in the US, is accused of ‘flooding’ Florida with opioids in a civil lawsuit.
The company is being sued by the state of Florida for allegedly failing to exercise accountability in prescribing opioids between 1999 and 2020 and failing to divert the drugs away from potentially abusive patients. .
A Sunshine State attorney even said Deerfield, based in Illinois, allowed highly addictive drugs to flood the state.
The suit comes as many prominent players in the opioid crisis – the cause of tens of thousands of Americans’ deaths annually, face the reckoning of civilian suits.
Pharmaceutical giant Walgreens is facing a civil lawsuit from the state of Florida alleging that it helped ‘flood’ the state with opium by failing to restrict proper distribution to flaggers. red that they will use them illegally
Walgreens singles out doctors for the problem, blaming them for overprescribing highly addictive drugs to vulnerable patients
“Walgreens is the last line of defense in stopping the improper distribution of drugs,” said Jim Webster, who is the state attorney.
‘It’s the entity that has really put opioids in the hands of opioid addicts and the hands of criminals.’
Walgreens prescribed one in four opioid prescriptions in Florida between 1999 and 2020, and failed to investigate red flags that could have prevented the drug from being diverted to illicit use, Webster said when jurors heard the verdict. The opening statement during the trial was held in New Port Richey, north of Tampa.
Many drugs sold illegally on the black market are purchased legally via prescription, and many people who end up abusing highly addictive opioids begin using the drug as a pain reliever.
The company argues that the fault lies with the doctors for writing too many prescriptions.
Steven Derringer, an attorney for Walgreens, said in his opening statement that the pharmacy chain is fully stocked with prescriptions from doctors and doesn’t ignore the red signs that allow opioids to flood Florida.
“There were a lot of pills because the doctors prescribed a lot of pain relievers,” says Derringer.
In recent years, doctors have come under close scrutiny for their role in creating the opioid epidemic.
Multiple analyzes show that doctors overprescribe drugs, often to patients who either don’t ask for or provide more than is needed.
This is especially a problem after surgeries, where many patients who need medication for pain relief end up taking so much that they become dependent.
Walgreens is the final defendant in a large wave of lawsuits filed by the state against drug distributors and manufacturers for their alleged role in the rise in drug deaths. in Florida and throughout the United States.
According to Attorney General Ashley Moody, Florida has collected more than $3 billion in opioid litigation against manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies.
CVS was also sued by the state of Florida and paid a half billion dollars for its role in the opioid crisis
Much of it will be spent on efforts to mitigate the opioid crisis in the state.
‘With the money that we’re going to bring to Florida. These families will start to heal,’ Moody told Fox 13 in Tampa.
In March, Walgreens rival CVS Health Corp agreed to pay Florida $484 million.
Drugmakers Teva will pay $194.8 million, Allergan will pay $134.2 million and Endo will pay $65 million.
Moody says it’s not just about money, though, it’s about stopping these harmful business practices.
“Distribution marketing, the activities that lead to where we are today, will not be possible in the future,” she said.
Walgreens previously argued that it was not sued based on a just $3,000 settlement it reached with Florida in 2012, following an investigation into its record-keeping policies and efforts to prevent diversion. of opioid drugs.
Judge Kimberly Sharpe Byrd, who is overseeing the trial, ruled in March that the 2012 settlement addresses a single record-keeping violation and does not protect Walgreens from other claims.
The company appealed her ruling.
According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the US recorded a record 105,000 drug overdose deaths between October 2020 and 2021, with 80% due to opioids and opioids. Synthetic versions of drugs such as fentanyl account for 70%.
Many people who develop an opioid addiction will eventually turn to illicit versions of the drug when their initial supply runs out.
Some of these illicit drug manufacturers use fentanyl as a cheaper alternative to opioid drugs made by pharmaceutical companies.
However, the drug is highly potent and only needs to be taken in a limited amount to cause an overdose.
As reported by the CDC, Florida recorded 8,000 drug overdose deaths between October 2020 and 2021, or 37.1 per 100,000 residents – the 18th highest rate in the state.
Source: | This article originally belonged to Dailymail.co.uk
