Opioid Makers Sued: Colo. Atty. General Joins 41 Other States

DENVER, CO - Information and documents were demanded Tuesday from drug manufacturers and distributors as part of a an investigation into the nation's opioid epidemic. The demands were in the form of subpoenas and information demand letters — issued by a coalition of 41 state attorneys general — sent to more than half a dozen companies.

The coalition, which includes Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, announced the probe in June, want to know if drug manufacturers and distributors are engaged in unlawful practices when it comes to the marketing, sale and distribution of opioids.
The demands for documents went to several manufacturers, including Endo, Janssen, Teva/Cephalon, Allergan and Purdue Pharma and several distributors, including AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson.

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John Gray, president and CEO of the Healthcare Distribution Alliance, said his group welcomes "the opportunity to have a full discussion about how, and why, opioids have been overprescribed and how our industry can be positive contributors to addressing this public health crisis and its root causes."

Gray points out that distributors don't make the drugs, market the drugs, or prescribe them.
"Our role is to deliver medicines safely, securely and efficiently from manufacturers to pharmacies, hospitals and other healthcare institutions based on prescriptions written by licensed prescribers."
While the coalition made a point of saying individual states in the coalition will not be identified, several attorneys general, including those of Nevada, New York, Virginia, Colorado, Texas, Tennessee and Alabama, sent out press releases announcing the subpoenas.
“The opioid epidemic has had a devastating impact on millions of families across the country, and Colorado has certainly not been immune to this crisis,” said Colorado Attorney General Coffman. “The scourge of opioid addiction has impacted every corner of our state. Our doctors, nurses, and first responders have been working tirelessly, oftentimes in dangerous circumstances, to save those battling addiction. Our nonprofits and government agencies have been fighting an uphill battle to help those trapped in the cycle of addiction. And our churches and schools have been shouldering a heavy burden helping to console, counsel, and educate those who’ve lost loved ones, including the children who have been orphaned or abandoned due to this to this deadly epidemic.”

Opioid abuse and misuse cost the United States more than $740 million each year as a result of crime, lost work productivity and health care. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that opioids were involved in 33,091 deaths in the United States in 2015, and opioid overdoses have quadrupled since 1999.

The Colorado Substance Abuse Trend and Response Task Force released a Heroin in Colorado report in April.
“There is no magic bullet to solve this crisis, but I am committed to working with partners throughout Colorado and the country to find a solution," Coffman said in a statement. "This investigation is another step in a continuing effort by my office to help those impacted by opioid addiction and to hold accountable those who contributed to this epidemic in violation of Colorado law.”

This article was co-written by Colin Miner, Patch Staff.

File photo of oxycodone pills via John Moore/Getty Images News/Getty Images