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Federal prosecutors say the drug wholesaler AmerisourceBergen Corp. did not report suspicious orders for opioids. The firm says the federal government “cherry picked” potential violations.
Matt Rourke/AP
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Matt Rourke/AP
Federal prosecutors say the drug wholesaler AmerisourceBergen Corp. did not report suspicious orders for opioids. The firm says the federal government “cherry picked” potential violations.
Matt Rourke/AP
The U.S. Justice Department is suing one of many nation’s largest firms, drug wholesaler AmerisourceBergen, for allegedly fueling the nation’s lethal opioid disaster.
In its criticism, DOJ officers stated the corporate did not report the diversion of “a whole bunch of hundreds” of prescription opioid drugs shipped to pharmacies.
The dependancy disaster has killed greater than one million folks within the U.S., with deadly overdoses claiming 107,000 lives final yr alone.
According to the DOJ, AmerisourceBergen and two of its subsidiaries may face penalties working into the billions of {dollars}.
“Companies distributing opioids are required to report suspicious orders to federal legislation enforcement,” stated Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, in an announcement.
“AmerisourceBergen which offered billions of models of prescription opioids over the previous decade repeatedly did not adjust to that requirement,” she added.
According to the criticism, AmerisourceBergen executives knew prescription capsules shipped to Florida and West Virginia had been being diverted and “offered in parking heaps for money.”
The DOJ additionally alleges two folks in Colorado who improperly acquired opioid capsules shipped by the corporate “subsequently died of overdoses.”
In an announcement, AmerisourceBergen denied any wrongdoing.
The firm accused the Justice Department of “cherry selecting” alleged issues that existed at a handful of pharmacies out the tens of hundreds of pharmacies served by the corporate.
“AmerisourceBergen verified DEA registration and state board of pharmacy licenses earlier than filling any orders, carried out in depth due diligence into these clients, reported each sale of each managed substances to the DEA,” the corporate stated.
In February 2022, AmerisourceBergen reached a nationwide settlement with state and native governments, agreeing to pay $6.1 billion to resolve a tsunami of opioid-related lawsuits.
Federal officers say this civil lawsuit in opposition to the corporate is unrelated to that deal.
This motion by the DOJ comes at a second when drug producers, distributors and pharmacy chains have confronted a nationwide reckoning over their position advertising and promoting extremely addictive ache capsules.
The DOJ can also be at present suing Walmart for alleged opioid violations at its pharmacy chain. Walmart, too, has denied any wrongdoing.
In all, firms have agreed to pay greater than $50 billion in settlements and penalties, cash that is anticipated to fund drug dependancy therapy applications throughout the U.S.