D.C. Scrutinizes Culpability of Drug Manufacturers, Distributors in Opioid Epidemic

(Summer 2018) Early this year the Justice Department created a task force to investigate the extent to which drug makers and distributors played a part in the opioid crisis. Meanwhile, this spring, executive chairman and former CEO of Cardinal Health, George Barrett, formally apologized during the Congressional committee meeting exploring the level of responsibility borne by drug distributors for releasing vast quantities of opioids to dubious pharmacies, especially two in West Virginia. Barrett emphasized Cardinal’s current practices, such as strict monitoring of orders and its donation of naloxone to first responders.

Barrett was among representatives from five drug distributors who went before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The Committee is researching “pill dumping,” which began more than a decade ago. The House group identified distributors as an initial checkpoint in preventing the release of suspicious orders.

In addition to Cardinal Health (headquartered in Dublin, Ohio), the committee also heard from Miami-Luken Incorporated, McKesson Corporation, AmerisourceBergen Corporation and H.D. Smith Wholesale Drug Company, which was purchased in 2017 by AmeriSource.

All the testifying executives pointed out that their companies have moved from a human-based screening system to a data analytics model to identify and halt the processing of large, questionable orders.

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