Opioid Crisis: Subpoenas To Drug Manufacturers As Part Of Nationwide Probe

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 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. (For more information on this and other Las Vegas stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

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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.

"My office is continuing to combat this opioid crisis on several fronts," said Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt. “By issuing subpoenas, my office has taken another significant step in the ongoing investigation into the business practices of opioid manufacturers and distributors.

"As this investigation progresses, I will continue to work to enhance law enforcement efforts and promote prevention in Nevada."

Laxalt said that 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 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 Cynthia Coffman. “The scourge of opioid addiction has impacted every corner of our state."

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