Jury Finds Pharmacies at Fault for Opioid Crisis in Two Ohio Counties

A federal jury has ruled that several pharmacies are at fault for their roles in the Ohio opioid crisis.

The verdict was handed down on Tuesday and found that CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart pharmacies in Lake and Trumbull counties caused hundreds of deaths by recklessly dispensing dangerous opioids. The ruling was the first time that pharmacy companies completed a full trial to defend themselves against fueling the drug crisis. Rite Aid and Giant Eagle previously declined to go to trial. Instead, they opted to settle lawsuits with the two counties.

Walmart, which is planning to appeal along with CVS and Walgreens, released a statement slamming the counties for taking aim at the wrong companies. The retail giant accused the counties of “ ignoring the real causes of the opioid crisis,” which are passive drug regulators, pill mills, and doctors who played a role in over-prescribing highly addictive drugs.

The opioid crisis in Ohio has overwhelmed the two counties over the past few years. Between 2012 and 2016, nearly 80 million painkillers were distributed in Trumbull, while Lake County distributed 61 million pills during that same period. Between May of last year and April 2021, Ohio saw about 5,585 pill overdose deaths, up from 4,410 overdose deaths the year prior.

The ruling, according to U.S. District Judge Dan Polster, will lead the way for government agencies across the United States to go after pharmacies for their roles in the opioid crisis.

The pharmacies will learn how much they are ordered to pay in Spring.