W.Va. judge says state agencies can sue drug companies
http://legalnewsline.com/news/254385-w-va-judge-says-state-agencies-can-sue-drug-companies
McGraw and now-Attorney General Patrick Morrisey claim Amerisource, Miami-Luken Inc., J.M. Smith Corporation, the Harvard Drug Group, Anda Inc., Associated Pharmacies Inc., Auburn Pharmaceutical Company, H.D. Smith Wholesale Drug Company, Keysource Medical Inc., Masters Pharmaceuticals, Quest Pharmaceuticals, Richie Pharmacal Co. and Top RX Inc. have substantially contributed to and substantially, illicitly and tortiously benefitted financially from the prescription drug abuse problem in West Virginia.
The defendants distribute various prescription drugs that are closely identified with the prescription drug problem in West Virginia and were on notice of the growing epidemic from the abuse of the prescription drugs, according to the suit.
The Attorney General’s Office claims the defendants are major distributors of controlled substances and have supplied the prescriptions to drugstores, which then dispense controlled substances based upon bogus prescriptions from physicians who are prescribing controlled substances for illegitimate medical purposes.
“Throughout their acts and omissions, these defendants have inserted themselves as an integral part of the pill mill process,” the complaint states.
The defendants have violated the West Virginia Uniform Controlled Substances Act and the West Virginia Consume Credit and Protection Act and have been unjustly enriched at the cost of the state of West Virginia.
Imagine that… drug wholesalers that are legally licensed DEA wholesale distributor selling control meds to legally DEA licensed pharmacies and they considered in WV as a integral part of the pill mill process. Aren’t they selling these controlled substances to the same pharmacies/Pharmacists that are legally licensed by the STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA as are these wholesalers are licensed by the state of WV as are the physicians that are prescribing these controlled meds.
Since neither the DEA nor the state have revoked the licenses of these registrants… is the STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA complicit in the “pill mill process” ? Could it be that their motives have little to do with the abuse of substances/opiates in the state ?
Filed under: General Problems
Auburn Pharmaceutical was removed from this lawsuit over a year ago.
They shoul sue the DEA while they’re at it. I mean, how could they possibly allow the problem to have such far reaching effects??? (Sarcasm)
Sounds like the judge and the W. Va AG are IDIOTS. Everything that the wholesalers and drug companies did were legal. They have a federal license. If there is a problem, the DEA should be sued. After all, they do the licensing.
“…substantially, illicitly and tortiously benefitted financially from the prescription drug abuse problem in West Virginia.”
The DEA created the heroin abuse problem — and those agents make really good money. (I’m sure they get really good medical and retirement benefits, too.)
And the multi-billion-dollar addiction industry is definitely “benefiting financially” from the drug abuse problem. Then there’s the federally-funded anti-drug advocates, like Andrew Kolodny. And don’t forget law enforcement, enriched with lots of violent toys to fight the drug war, along with making good money through asset forfeitures and all the corruption.
Gosh, there’s just so many people and organizations that are profiting from the drug abuse problem (and the drug war), it’s a wonder the West Virginia AG was only able to find a few of them to actually sue.
In fact, aren’t the AG’s salaries paid for, in part, by the drug abuse problem, too?