More Municipalities Could File Lawsuits Against Pharmacies Over Opioid Crisis

After a recent jury verdict in a federal court in Cleveland, more city and county governments may now begin suing pharmacy companies over their alleged role in the opioid crisis.

In the first trial that involved retail pharmacies defending themselves for distributing opioids inappropriately, a jury in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio said CVS, Walgreens and Walmart acted recklessly, doling out huge amounts of opioids in the Ohio counties of Lake and Trumbull.

According to court documents, about 80 million prescription painkillers were dispensed in Trumbull County between 2012 and 2016, which equals 400 for every county resident. In Lake County, about 61 million pills were distributed during that time frame.

Attorneys for the two counties, who were able to convince jurors that the pharmacies played a large role in the crisis, said the overdose deaths, overwhelmed courts, social services agencies and law enforcement cost each of the counties approximately $1 billion. The damages the pharmacy companies will need to pay won’t be decided until spring.