Opioid Crisis Contributors on Trial - Walmart, CVS, Giant Eagle, and Walgreens

At the corner of happy and healthy, things may be more sinister than they seem. This past week, Lake and Trumbull counties in Ohio began a trial with Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, and Giant Eagle, suing these pharmaceutical companies over their reckless distribution of highly addictive pills throughout the opioid crisis. The pharmacies, however, assert their innocence, diverting blame to the doctors prescribing the medication and the drug companies misleading the public. In reality, pharmacies hold a central role in the opioid crisis; this is in part due to poor reporting processes for fishy prescriptions and their repeated offenses. Coupled with their past assurances to the public against their own responsibility in the situation, these pharmacies have caused countless deaths. It is time they are held accountable.

Critics of the pharmacies' role in the opioid crisis argue poor access control has enabled widespread systematic abuse of the prescription drugs. Red flags have been apparent for years in individuals requesting prescriptions within these two highly drug-ridden counties. Red flags, which can refer to things such as high frequency of prescription pick-ups and doctors’ signatures that look forged or printed, were a consistent issue at the pharmacies according to past employee reports. However, when employees would try to report these occurrences or file reports, managers would tell them, “Do not reach out to the DEA, do not call the police. If you do so, your employment is going to be terminated immediately” (Mann, 2021) The desire to conceal their actions was blatant, and left pharmacists helpless. If they tried to report an offense, they could risk losing their job - but if they continued not to report, they could lose their license. Because of this shameless corporate greed, thousands upon thousands of individuals were becoming addicted to opioids as the doors were held open for them at pharmacies.

As these discrepancies became apparent, the pharmacies faced litigation. In 2011, Walmart signed an agreement with the DEA promising that they would enforce greater measures to ensure the safety of their prescription distributions. But they did not make these changes. As one of the lawyers suing the pharmacies, Mark Lanier, described, “This has been a problem since the 1990s and these pharmacies really didn't start trying to screen even semi-effectively until after they'd already been slapped on the wrist” Mann, 2021). Now, ten years later, as they are on trial and continue to face pushback, they remain unrepentant. Though Rite-Aid privately settled with the counties for an undisclosed amount, Walmart and the other pharmacies refuse to take accountability. Rite-Aid's choice to reach a settlement and the pharmacies’ track record illustrate just how guilty these pharmacies are. Regardless of the outcome of the trial, they will continue to face legal difficulties unless they fundamentally change their practices.

Part of the pharmaceutical industry’s hesitancy to admit guilt is the enormous monetary restitutions they could be held liable for. As contributors to the opioid crisis, the US government could hold them accountable for expenses including an enlarged foster care system, increased need for law enforcement, drug treatments, and other massively impacted governmental systems. The issue is that these solutions don’t resolve the true impact of these companies’ actions. The thousands of lives lost in the opioid crisis cannot be brought back. The futures of these individuals could have had so much to offer, and the profits of these companies were prioritized above that. It is integral that they not only pay reparations, but are forced to fundamentally alter their processes and prevent further casualties at the hands of prescription drugs.

References

Mann, B. (2021, January 3). Former Walmart Pharmacists Say Company Ignored Red Flags as Opioid Sales Boomed. NPR. Retrieved January 13, 2022, from https://www.npr.org/2021/01/03/950870632/former-walmart-pharmacists -say-company-ignored-red-flags-as-opioid-sales-boomed

Mann, B. (2021, October 4). A Landmark Opioid Trial Puts Spotlight on Pharmacy Chains CVS, Walmart and Walgreens. NPR. Retrieved January 13, 2022, from https://www.npr.org/2021/10/04/1041979845/a-landmark-opioid-trial-put s-spotlight-on-pharmacy-chains-cvs-walmart-and-walgre