Drug Distributors’ Role In Opioid Crisis Has Flown Under Radar, But A Reckoning Could Be Fast Approaching

As the financial muscle behind the opioid epidemic, drug distributors rank among the largest American companies by revenue, with the three leading companies distributing more than 90 percent of the nation’s drug and medical supplies. They've faced numerous accusations that they deliberately circumnavigated regulators in favor of profit. Now, in what could be a test case, the United States attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York and the DEA are wrapping up an investigation that appears likely to result in the first criminal case involving a major opioid distributor. In other news on the crisis: generic nasal spray for overdoses, involuntary commitment for addiction treatment, arrests, and disappointing news for a novel pain drug.

from Kaiser Health News http://bit.ly/2IxrQ5r