The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against AmerisourceBergen, one of the largest pharmaceutical distributors in the country, for alleged opioid violations. The lawsuit claims that the company distributed “hundreds of thousands” of opioid pills to pharmacies that it knew, or should have known, were being diverted for illegal use.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Cleveland, Ohio, alleges that AmerisourceBergen “failed to report suspicious orders of opioids and filled those orders, despite red flags indicating the drugs were being misused.” The suit also accuses the company of “knowingly and intentionally causing false and fraudulent claims to be submitted to federal healthcare programs for payment.”
According to the lawsuit, AmerisourceBergen distributed “hundreds of thousands” of oxycodone and hydrocodone pills to pharmacies in Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky between 2008 and 2012. The suit claims that the company “failed to report suspicious orders of opioids and filled those orders, despite red flags indicating the drugs were being misused.”
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Vanita Gupta said, “AmerisourceBergen is alleged to have ignored red flags that its drugs were being misused and abused, and instead, chose to flood communities with opioids.” She added that the company’s actions “fueled the opioid epidemic and caused immeasurable harm.”
The lawsuit comes as part of the federal government’s ongoing efforts to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic. The opioid crisis has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and has had a devastating impact on communities across the country.
AmerisourceBergen has denied the allegations and said in a statement that it “has been and remains committed to doing our part to combat the opioid epidemic.” The company added that it “has taken significant steps to strengthen our compliance programs, including enhancing our surveillance and analytics capabilities.”
In conclusion, The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against AmerisourceBergen, one of the largest pharmaceutical distributors in the country, for alleged opioid violations. The lawsuit claims that the company distributed “hundreds of thousands” of opioid pills to pharmacies that it knew, or should have known, were being diverted for illegal
