TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami) – Florida is taking Walgreens to court in an effort to hold it accountable for what it claims was the company’s role in the state’s opioid crisis.
So far the state has recovered more than $3 billion from other pharmaceutical companies in its opioid litigation, but Walgreens was not one of the companies.
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“It’s time for Walgreens to face accountability for their part in fueling the opioid crisis, and my team is prepared to vigorously try our strong case against them,” said state Attorney General Ashley Moody.
Jury selection for the trial in New Port Richey is set for April 5th, opening statements are likely to occur on or about April 11.
In court filings, the state highlighted what it said was concerning evidence surrounding Walgreens’s dispensing and distribution of opioids in Florida.
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According to the filings, “a Walgreens drug distribution center sold 2.2 million tablets to a single Walgreens pharmacy in tiny Hudson, a roughly six-month supply for each of its 12,000 residents… In some cases, Walgreens increased orders by as much as 600% in the space of just two years, including, for example, supplying a town of 3,000 with 285,800 orders of oxycodone in a one-month period.”
The Office of the Attorney General will outline additional facts and figures concerning Walgreens’s role in creating and fueling the deadly opioid crisis during next week’s trial.
Moody recently announced that they had secured more than $870 million for opioid abatement from former defendants in the state’s case: CVS Health Corporation, CVS Pharmacy, Inc., Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd., and Allergan PLC.
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Additionally, Attorney General Moody announced the finalization of the state’s agreement with Endo Health Solutions.
