|
 The Ohio counties of Lake and Trumbull allege that oversight
failures at pharmacies run by Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc, CVS
Health Corp, Walmart Inc and Giant Eagle Inc led to excessive
amounts of opioid pills flooding their communities.
Lawyers for the counties and companies will deliver opening
statements to a federal jury in Cleveland, where thousands of
similar lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies, drug distributors
and pharmacies are pending.
More than 3,300 cases have been brought largely by state and local
governments seeking to hold the companies responsible for an opioid
abuse epidemic that U.S. government data shows led to nearly 500,000
overdose deaths from 1999 to 2019.
The pharmacy operators deny wrongdoing. CVS said its pharmacies
"fill legitimate prescriptions written by licensed doctors."
Walgreens said it took pride in the judgment of its pharmacists, and
Giant Eagle said pharmacy inspectors concluded it complied with the
law. Walmart did not respond to requests for comment.
[to top of second column] |
 Should a jury find the
companies liable, U.S. District Judge Dan
Polster will determine how much they must pay to
abate, or address, the health crisis in the
communities. He has urged the parties to settle.
The trial comes after the three largest U.S. distributors that
supply pharmacies - McKesson Corp, Cardinal Health Inc and
AmerisourceBergen Corp - and the drugmaker Johnson & Johnson in July
proposed paying up to $26 billion to settle cases against them.
A bankruptcy judge in August approved a settlement by OxyContin
maker Purdue Pharma LP and its wealthy Sackler family owners that
the company values at more than $10 billion.
(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Noeleen Walder and
Bill Berkrot)
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