CVS, Walmart and Walgreens fueled opioid crisis, US jury finds

Three retail pharmacy chains recklessly distributed vast amounts of pain pills in two Ohio counties, a federal jury said on Tuesday, in a verdict that could set the tone for US city and county governments that want to hold pharmacies accountable for their roles in the opioid crisis.

Lake and Trumbull counties blamed pharmacies operated by CVS, Walgreens and Walmart for not stopping the flood of pills that caused hundreds of overdose deaths and cost each of the two counties about $1bn, their attorney said.

It was the first time pharmacy companies had completed a trial to defend themselves in a drug crisis that has killed half a million Americans over the past two decades.

The counties were able to convince the jury the pharmacies played an outsized role in creating a public nuisance in the way they dispensed pain medication into their communities.

Attorneys for the chains maintained they had policies to stem the flow of pills when pharmacists had concerns and would notify authorities about suspicious orders from doctors. They also said it was the doctors who controlled how many pills were being prescribed for legitimate medical needs.

Attorney Mark Lanier, who represented the counties, said during the trial that the pharmacies were attempting to blame everyone but themselves.

The rise in physicians prescribing pain medications such as oxycodone and hydrocodone came at a time when medical groups began recognizing that patients have the right to be treated for pain, Kaspar Stoffelmayr, an attorney for Walgreens, said at the opening of the trial.

It was one of five trials so far this year in the US to test claims brought by governments against parts of the drug industry over the toll of prescription painkillers.

Trials against drugmakers in New York and distribution companies in Washington state are under way. A trial of claims against distribution companies in West Virginia has wrapped up, but the judge has not yet given a verdict.

Other lawsuits have resulted in big settlements or proposed settlements before trials were completed.