Attorney General Daniel Cameron filed the suit Wednesday in Franklin Circuit Court. It alleges that the company "failed to guard against the diversion of opioids" to illegal purposes, a Cameron press release said.
“During the height of the opioid epidemic, CVS allowed millions of dosage units of opioids to flood Kentucky’s borders, fueling the crisis and devastating thousands of families and communities,” Cameron said. “As both distributor and pharmacy, CVS was in a unique position to monitor and stop the peddling of these highly addictive drugs from their stores.”
Cameron said CVS accounted for 6 percent of the dosage units of oxycodone and hydrocodone in Kentucky from 2006 to 2014. "One CVS store, located in Perry County, purchased over 6.8 million dosage units of oxycodone and hydrocodone from 2006 to 2014, which was enough opioids for every man, woman, and child in the county to have over 26 pills every year during the same period," the release said. "A CVS in Crittenden County bought over 2.8 million dosage units of the drugs, enough to supply everyone in the county with over 34 pills every year."
The suit says CVS reported no suspicious orders for its Kentucky stores from 2007 to 2014, and worked with other companies such as Purdue Pharma and Endo Pharmaceuticals "in the marketing, advertising, and promotion of opioid products" and "improperly normalized the widespread use of opioids by participating in these efforts."
Cameron said CVS accounted for 6 percent of the dosage units of oxycodone and hydrocodone in Kentucky from 2006 to 2014. "One CVS store, located in Perry County, purchased over 6.8 million dosage units of oxycodone and hydrocodone from 2006 to 2014, which was enough opioids for every man, woman, and child in the county to have over 26 pills every year during the same period," the release said. "A CVS in Crittenden County bought over 2.8 million dosage units of the drugs, enough to supply everyone in the county with over 34 pills every year."
The suit says CVS reported no suspicious orders for its Kentucky stores from 2007 to 2014, and worked with other companies such as Purdue Pharma and Endo Pharmaceuticals "in the marketing, advertising, and promotion of opioid products" and "improperly normalized the widespread use of opioids by participating in these efforts."
Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, and other drug companies were sued by Andy Beshear, now governor, when he was attorney general. It and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals are in bankruptcy, and the state's claims against them "are progressing toward resolution later this year," Cameron's release said. It said he continues to pursue suits against Endo, Walgreens and Teva Pharmaceuticals, and is in settlement talks with Johnson & Johnson, McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen.
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