Wyoming Sues Purdue Pharma for the Company’s Role in Opioid Epidemic

WYOMING- Inurancejournal.com reports that the Wyoming Attorney General filed a lawsuit against the pharmaceutical company that manufactures OxyContin for the company’s actions, which include deceptive marketing practices. The state filed their claim in the Laramie County Circuit Court saying that the company misrepresented the benefits and safety of the opioid painkillers.

According to the lawsuit, Purdue worked to convince doctors that they should prescribe higher dosages of the medication and that opioids should be prescribed for longer periods of time.

The lawsuit is one of many that have been filed against the companies that manufacture opioid painkillers. States and municipalities have been filing lawsuits against companies that make opioid drugs, drug distributors and others who are considered to have contributed to the spread of opioid addiction across the United States.

According to the United States government, the current opioid epidemic has its roots in actions taken by drug companies in the 1990s. While opioids are effective at relieving pain in serious situations, these drugs are also extremely addictive. As more drugs flooded the market, the opportunity for abuse grew, and more Americans became reliant on the drugs. The epidemic led to a spike in heroin use as drug addicts began turning to street drugs that were less expensive and easier to acquire than prescription opioids. Finally, the market began to be flooded with synthetic forms of illegal opioids called fentanyl, which is even more potent and dangerous than heroin.

Last year the opioid crisis contributed to a record number of fatal drug overdoses across the United States. Fentanyl is likely the biggest part of the spike.