MONTGOMERY – Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has announced that he has filed a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma and Rhodes Pharmaceutical – collectively known as Purdue – which are manufacturers of prescription opioid pain medications. Marshall stated that Purdue violated the Deceptive Trade Practices Act in its marketing of opioid prescriptions.
In August of 2017, President Donald Trump declared the use of opioids a national emergency. In June of that year, Blue Cross and Blue Shield rated Alabama first in opioid abuse.
“The opioid epidemic has devastated Alabama families, leaving a trail of addiction and death winding though every community of this state,” Marshall said. “Alabama ranks first in the nation for the number of painkiller prescriptions per capita.
As a result, it is estimated that almost 30,000 of our residents over age 17 are dependent upon heroin and prescription painkillers. Alabama’s drug overdose death rate skyrocketed by 82 percent from 2006 to 2014 and it is believed that many of those deaths were from opioid painkillers and heroin.”
Purdue produces brand name medications: OxyContin, MS Contin, Dilau did/Dilaudid HP, Butrans, Hysingla ER, and Targiniq ER, in addition to generic opioid drugs.
The state is seeking monetary damages and injunctive relief against Purdue. It has retained law firms, Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C. of Montgomery and Prince, Glover & Hayes of Tuscaloosa to prosecute the claims under the supervision of the Attorney General’s office.
The complaint against Purdue can be seen here.