1-30-2019
EVERETT, Wash. — Snohomish County has filed a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma and their distributor, joining a long list of governments seeking damages for the toll that prescription opioids have taken on society.
The Daily Herald reports the Snohomish County Council voted unanimously Monday to authorize a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma, the McKesson Corporation, and local doctors and clinics to be filed in Snohomish County Superior Court.
In the lawsuit, the county aims to prove that Purdue and McKesson supplied massive quantities of OxyContin to a Los Angeles-based drug ring which operated a black market in Snohomish County.
It also alleges that many doctors, some of whom had legal troubles before, pursued corporate interests over the well-being of the community, intentionally overprescribing opioids.
Purdue Pharma issued a response to the lawsuit and pledged to work with the state and county officials on meaningful solutions but denied the allegations.