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Opioid Crisis

Business
Walgreens Knowingly Filled Millions Of Prescriptions Lacking Legit Medical Purpose, DOJ Says Walgreens Knowingly Filled Millions Of Prescriptions Lacking Legit Medical Purpose, DOJ Says
Walgreens Knowingly Filled Millions Of Prescriptions Lacking Legit Medical Purpose, DOJ Says The Justice Department has filed a nationwide lawsuit against Walgreens, alleging the pharmacy chain filled millions of prescriptions without legitimate medical purposes, particularly involving dangerous opioid combinations, over more than a decade. Filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the civil complaint contends Walgreens violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and False Claims Act (FCA) by dispensing prescriptions despite clear red flags and seeking federal reimbursements for these drugs. “This lawsuit seeks to hold Walgreens accountable for the many…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Rite Aid Plans To Close 400-Plus Stores, Report Says Rite Aid Plans To Close 400-Plus Stores, Report Says
Rite Aid Plans To Close 400-Plus Stores, Report Says Rite Aid will close 400 to 500 stores as part of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, according to a new report. The drugstore chain is now negotiating with creditors to formulate a bankruptcy plan that would include liquidating a substantial portion of its more than 2,100 drugstores, The Wall Street Journal says. Rite Aid is facing over $3 billion in debt and more than a thousand federal lawsuits alleging it oversupplied opioids, the report said. Founded 61 years ago in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Rite Aid moved its headquarters to Philadelphia in 2022. Click here to read the complet…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Westchester Doctor Admits To Prescribing Over 100K Oxycodone Pills Knowing They'd Be Resold Westchester Doctor Admits To Prescribing Over 100K Oxycodone Pills Knowing They'd Be Resold
Westchester Doctor Admits To Prescribing Over 100K Oxycodone Pills Knowing They'd Be Resold A Westchester County doctor could spend decades in prison after admitting that he illegally prescribed opioid pills knowing they’d be resold on the street. Marc Laruelle, age 65, of Yonkers, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing Oxycodone, amphetamines, and Xanax in federal court in Manhattan Wednesday, Oct. 19. Prosecutors said Laruelle, a licensed psychiatrist, illegally prescribed more than 100,000 doses of Oxycodone “outside of the usual course of professional practice” between September 2016 and October 2021. Highly potent and addictive, the drug often commands a high price in …

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Purdue Pharma Reaches $6B Settlement With US States Over Thousands Of Opioid-Related Lawsuits Purdue Pharma Reaches $6B Settlement With US States Over Thousands Of Opioid-Related Lawsuits
Purdue Pharma Reaches $6B Settlement With US States Over Thousands Of Opioid-Related Lawsuits OxyContin creators Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family have reached a $6 billion settlement over their roles in the ongoing opioid crisis plaguing the country. The announcement comes following an earlier deal made with Purdue, headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, that was ultimately appealed by eight states and the District of Columbia until the Sacklers kicked in more cash to get the deal done. Earlier story - NY, Other States Reach $4.5B Settlement With Purdue Pharma Over Its Role In Opioid Epidemic The $6 billion will be paid out over the course of 18 years, with larger payments fro…

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by Zak Failla
News
NY Jury Finds Pharmaceutical Company Liable In Opioids Case NY Jury Finds Pharmaceutical Company Liable In Opioids Case
NY Jury Finds Pharmaceutical Company Liable In Opioids Case Teva Pharmaceuticals, the last remaining defendant in a New York trial against opioid defendants, has been found liable for creating a public nuisance through its manufacture, sale, and distribution of opioids. The verdict from a Long Island Supreme Court jury came Thursday, Dec. 30, after six months of testimony in a trial brought by the State Attorney's General Office, along with Nassau and Suffolk counties. “This is a significant day for New York state. This is a significant day for this nation. But, more importantly, this is a significant day for every family and community torn apart by…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Hudson Valley Counties To Receive Up To $94 Million To Combat Opioid Crisis Hudson Valley Counties To Receive Up To $94 Million To Combat Opioid Crisis
Hudson Valley Counties To Receive Up To $94 Million To Combat Opioid Crisis Hudson Valley counties are set to receive up to $94 million to help combat the opioid crisis. New York Attorney General Letitia James said in an announcement on Tuesday, Oct. 5, that the funds come from settlements from a March 2019 lawsuit against the manufacturers and distributors responsible for the crisis. James shared a list of figures representing the minimum and maximum amounts each county could receive from settlements with Johnson & Johnson, McKesson, Cardinal Health, Amerisource Bergen, and Endo. Hudson Valley: $51,729,983.90 – $94,455,606.10 Dutchess County: $3,682,781.87 …

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by Nicole Valinote
Business
Stamford-Based Purdue Pharma Admits To Crimes, Facing Billions In Fines For Opioid Crisis Role Stamford-Based Purdue Pharma Admits To Crimes, Facing Billions In Fines For Opioid Crisis Role
Stamford-Based Purdue Pharma Admits To Crimes, Facing Billions In Fines For Opioid Crisis Role Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, has agreed to pay billions of dollars in fines and will plead guilty to federal criminal charges for its role in the nation’s opioid crisis. The Fairfield County-based Connecticut company agreed to plead guilty in federal court in New Jersey to a three-count indictment that includes one count of dual-object conspiracy to defraud the United States and to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and two counts of conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute. As part of the agreement, Purdue Pharma, whose headquarters is in Stamford, will…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Two Found Dead In Northern Westchester Residence; Infant Hospitalized Two Found Dead In Northern Westchester Residence; Infant Hospitalized
Two Found Dead In Northern Westchester Residence; Infant Hospitalized A man and woman were found dead at a residence in Northern Westchester, and their infant hospitalized, state police said. New York State Police troopers found the man and woman in their 30s in a Post Office Road home in Lewisboro at approximately 11 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11, police said. Their infant was also in the home at the time of the welfare check. Police said that the deaths are being investigated as a potential overdose, and there appears to be no foul play. Investigators are currently waiting on autopsy reports. The child was taken to Westchester Medical Center for evaluation late…

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by Zak Failla
News
Northern Westchester Doctor Found Guilty Of Accepting $300K In Kickbacks From Opioid Maker Northern Westchester Doctor Found Guilty Of Accepting $300K In Kickbacks From Opioid Maker
Northern Westchester Doctor Found Guilty Of Accepting $300K In Kickbacks From Opioid Maker A Manhattan anesthesiologist from Northern Westchester who distributed highly addictive painkillers was convicted of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks in a separate case. Mount Kisco resident Gordon Freedman, 59, was convicted by a federal jury in Manhattan federal court of conspiracy to violate anti-kickback laws, violating anti-kickback laws and honest services wire fraud after accepting more than $300,000 in bribes masked as speaker fees in exchange for writing certain prescriptions for Insys Therapeutics Inc. It was alleged that in 2014, Freedman wrote the fourth-h…

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by Zak Failla