Are Drug Companies and Pharmacies the Root Cause of our Opioid Crisis

According to the CDC and NIH every day 91 Americans die from an opioid overdose and 55 babies are born suffering from opioid withdrawal symptoms.  While at the same time, the companies that manufacture and sell opioid drugs and the pharmacies that distribute these drugs reap astronomical profits.

The corporations are making such huge profits that they consider fines as the cost of doing business.  Ten years of DEA fines and investigations have not meaningfully altered the opioid industry’s behavior.  According to an article in the Huffington Post, earlier this year, McKesson paid a record civil penalty of $150 million for failing to follow its own compliance program from an earlier settlement by filling suspicious orders, and supplying pharmacies with an alarming quantity of prescription opioids.

The Attorney General of the Cherokee Nation, Todd Hembree, in April of this year decided he had had enough and he sued McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart for their role in perpetuating the opioid crisis.  General Hembree feels if we are serious about stopping the onslaught of prescription opioid drugs, we must recognize that the practices of the past, while important, are not sufficient.

Many of us are aware of the repercussions of addiction in adults, but very little is understood about the impact it has on infants.  We know that millions of opioid addicted adults fear and avoid quitting cold-turkey because of the intense withdrawal effects, newborn babies are left without an option. These babies are foced to endure painful, debilitation and at times, life threatening opioid withdrawal symptoms.

To stop this sickening and horrible crisis, General Hembree urges his fellow attorneys general to follow the Cherokee Nation’s example and join in this crucial effort. The attorneys at Oliver Law Firm applaud General Hembree for his efforts.  If you would like more information about this crisis, call us at 479-202-5200 or just drop by.  Oliver Law Firm is located at 3606 Southern Hills Blvd, in Rogers, Arkansas.