opioid crisis News

Arkansas Sues Pharmacy Benefit Managers Over Alleged Role in Fueling Opioid Crisis

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas on Monday sued two pharmacy benefit managers that oversee coverage for insurers, employers and other large clients, accusing them of fueling the opioid crisis in the state. Attorney General Tim Griffin filed the lawsuit …

Doctor, One of Top Prescribers of Opioids in Massachusetts, Is Sentenced

A Massachusetts orthopedic surgeon who prosecutors say was one of the top prescribers of opioid drugs in the state was sentenced in federal court in Boston for his role in a health care fraud scheme. Dr. Olarewaju James Oladipo, of …

Walgreens to Pay $110M to End Philadelphia Opioid Litigation

The city of Philadelphia has reached a $110 million settlement of its 2021 lawsuit against Walgreens pharmacy for the company’s role in supplying and perpetuating the opioid addiction crisis in Philadelphia. Under the terms of the agreement, Walgreens admits no …

Panel Asks W.Va. Supreme Court if Opioid Distribution Can Cause a Public Nuisance

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A federal appeals court asked West Virginia’s highest court Monday whether opioid distributions can cause a public nuisance as it reviews a landmark lawsuit against three major U.S. drug distributors accused of causing a health crisis …

Drugmaker Endo Reaches $465M Bankruptcy Settlement With US

Bankrupt drugmaker Endo International will pay up to $465 million to settle the federal government’s law enforcement, tax, and healthcare cost claims, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Thursday. The settlement removes Endo’s largest obstacle to completing its plan …

Kentucky Attorney General Sues Kroger, Alleging Role in Opioid Crisis

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman filed a lawsuit Monday against one of the nation’s largest grocery chains, claiming its pharmacies helped fuel the state’s deadly opioid addiction crisis. The lawsuit against the Kroger Co. says its …

Virginia Doctor Who Prescribed More Than 500K Doses of Opioids Granted New Trial

A Virginia doctor who was sentenced to 40 years in prison after prescribing more than half a million doses of highly addictive opioids in two years has been granted a new trial by a federal appeals court that found the …

Vermont Lawmakers See Flood Recovery, Public Safety, Opioid Crisis as Priorities

Recovery from the catastrophic flooding that hit Vermont this summer, climate resiliency, improving public safety, tackling opioid addiction, and creating more affordable housing are among the top priorities of the legislative session that kicked off Wednesday, legislative leaders said. The …

Local Governments in West Virginia Will Soon See Opioid Settlement Money

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Local governments in West Virginia will start seeing opioid settlement money by the year`s end, the board in charge of distributing the lion’s share of around $1 billion in funds announced Monday. Around $73.5 million will …

Frustration Grows Over Wait on OxyContin Maker’s Settlement

More than a year after OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma reached a tentative settlement over the toll of opioids that was accepted nearly universally by the groups suing the company – including thousands of people injured by the drug – money …