Consumer Law
A Trial Over Opioid Sales Is Set to Begin
Opening statements are scheduled for Monday afternoon in Cleveland in a federal court trial to determine whether retail pharmacy chains created a public nuisance in how they dispensed addictive painkillers in two Ohio counties where the opioid crisis continues to rage.
One of the attorneys representing Lake and Trumbull counties outside Cleveland has said the cost of abating the ongoing crisis in each county is $1 billion.
This will be the first time pharmacy companies, in this case CVS, Walgreens, Giant Eagle and Walmart, have gone to trial to defend themselves. The trial, which is expected to last around six weeks, could set the tone for similar claims against retail pharmacy chains by government entities across the U.S. going forward.
