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A judge condemns CVS, Walgreens and Walmart to pay 650 million for their way of dispensing opioids

2022-08-18T12:59:50.430Z


The ruling marks a milestone in the authorities' fight against the excessive use of these painkillers, which have triggered deaths in recent years.


A federal judge in Cleveland ruled Wednesday that CVS, Walgreens and Walmart must pay $650 million in damages to two Ohio counties that sued them for how they distributed opioids in their communities.

District Judge Dan Polster explained in his ruling that the money will be used to fight the opioid crisis in Lake and Trumbull counties, just outside the city of Cleveland.

Lawyers from both counties estimate the total price of the damages caused at 3,300 million dollars.

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The magistrate punished the three companies, arguing that they "squandered an opportunity to present a meaningful plan to reduce nuisance" following last spring's proceedings to determine what was owed to the counties.

Lake County will receive $306 million over the next 15 years, while Trumbull County will receive $344 million over the same period.

[Fentanyl is already the drug of choice for opioid users]

Polster ordered the companies to immediately hand over nearly $87 million to cover the first two years of payments, but it is not known if they had to pay that money during their appeals.

"Today marks the beginning of a new day in our fight to end the opioid epidemic," Lake County Commissioner John Hamercheck said in a statement.

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A jury in November returned a verdict in favor of the counties after a six-week trial.

The judge heard testimony in May to determine the damages and compensation the counties should receive.

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The counties convinced the jury that the pharmacies had played an excessive role in creating a public nuisance by the way they dispensed painkillers.

It was the first time these pharmaceutical companies had gone to court to defend themselves in a drug crisis that has killed half a million Americans since 1999.

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The damages decision came on the same day that attorneys general in numerous states announced they had reached a settlement with opioid maker Endo International to pay up to $450 million over 10 years.

The payments resolve allegations that the company used deceptive marketing practices "that minimized the risk of addiction and exaggerated the benefits" of opioids.

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Lawyers for the pharmacy chains insisted they had policies in place to stem the flow of pills when pharmacists raised concerns and reported suspicious orders from doctors to authorities.

They also said that it was the doctors who controlled the quantity of pills that were prescribed for legitimate medical needs, not the pharmacies.

Source: telemundo

All news articles on 2022-08-18

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