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“We are moving forward with litigation against the pharmaceutical companies that made and sold prescription opioids that contributed to this epidemic of abuse. We expect these companies to pay for the damage, death and destruction their outrageous marketing strategies have brought to our communities,” said County Executive Day.
This resolution is just the latest effort in Rockland County’s comprehensive approach to the opioid epidemic. The Department of Mental Health has also partnered with local Rockland law enforcement groups to host numerous Drug Take Back Days and Narcan Trainings.
Furthermore, in June of 2018, the Department of Mental Health worked alongside the Department of Health and other hospitals and health groups to reduce the number of opioids being prescribed. This was implemented by distributing two letters to prescribers around the country, asking them to take three major steps to combat the crisis:
- Educate themselves on the safe treatment of pain
- Approach addiction as a chronic illness as opposed to a moral failing
- Screen patients for opioid use disorder and connect those to treatment who need it
Currently, Rockland County has one of the lowest rates of Opioid Analgesic Prescribing, at 321.4 prescriptions per 1,000 residents, but the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention estimate that the economic burden of prescription opioid misuse nationwide totals $78.5 billion each year.
“We are looking forward to working with counsel to recover for the harm to the County and its residents,” said County Attorney Thomas Humbach. “Where the County establishes improper distribution and marketing of these highly addictive medicines, we want compensation for our harm. The evidence will tell who is responsible and how much will be due.”
The costs for the legal action will be paid from any settlement reached on behalf of the County, if there is one. If not, Rockland does not have to pay.
“This action will bring accountability to these companies and justice for the many victims of this crisis,” said County Executive Day. “That is why we are using the legal system to bring this deadly epidemic back to the corporations that started it, the pharmaceutical companies. It is time that they take responsibility for their actions.”
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