"Ferguson continues fight against companies profiting from opioids with lawsuit against distributors", 12 Mar 2019

Continuing his assault on companies accused of profiting from the opioid epidemic, Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced a lawsuit against three distributors he said ignored their responsibility to suspend and report suspicious orders from Washington pharmacies.

The lawsuit against McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen Drug — the largest opioid distributors in Washington — is Ferguson’s second related to an epidemic he said has killed more than 8,000 state residents. In 2017, the attorney general filed suit against opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma...

A McKesson spokeswoman said the company did not have a specific comment about Ferguson’s suit. But she forwarded a general statement...

“As a company, we are deeply concerned by the impact the opioid epidemic is having on families and communities across our nation. We are committed to engaging with all who share our dedication to acting with urgency and working together to end this national crisis.”...

The company only distributes opioids to DEA-registered and state-licensed facilities, the statement goes on, which also adds that McKesson has contributed $100 million to a foundation fighting the opioid epidemic...