The nation’s three largest drug distributors failed to set up effective programs to stop prescription painkillers from being diverted and sold illegally on the black market, a former investigator with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration testified Wednesday at a landmark trial in Charleston.
After analyzing DEA data and the companies’ “due diligence” files, James Rafalski, an expert witness for the City of Huntington and Cabell County, concluded the wholesale distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen didn’t properly report suspiciously large orders of pain pills to the DEA for more than a decade.
During the trial, now in its fourth week, the companies’ executives have pinned much of the blame for the opioid crisis on the DEA’s failure to act. Rafalski’s testimony Wednesday provided a look into what he called the distributors’ flawed reporting practices.
CHARLESTON – All three major drug distribution companies objected to Cabell County and Huntington attorneys bringing in an expert witness with a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration background to examine opioid data.
The City of Huntington and Cabell County sued three of the largest distribution companies – AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson Corp – in 2017, seeking the parties be held responsible for shipping over 81 million prescription pain pills into the area of 100,000 residents. Five of 77 pharmacies in Cabell County and Huntington, received over 23.2 million pills between 2006 and 2014 according to the data released by DEA.
Attorney Paul Farrell Jr., representing Cabell County, called James Rafalski, a former DEA official to the stand May 26. Rafalski investigated registrants, collect due diligence files and put together reports to determine effective controls to prevent diversion on behalf of the DEA.
CHARLESTON – Attorneys representing Cabell County and the City of Huntington probed a McKesson sales representative on warning customers of nearing threshold limits, pushing increases and pushing sales – including controlled substances.
Huntington and Cabell County sued the nation s three largest pharmaceutical distribution companies – AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson – in 2017 seeking to hold the companies accountable for their alleged part in the opioid epidemic by sending more than 540,000 opioids each month to independent and chain pharmacies – excluding hospitals and/or hospital pharmacies – located in Cabell County.
On May 25, defense attorney Eric Kennedy called Timothy Ashworth, regional sales representative with McKesson to the stand.
CHARLESTON – As the landmark federal opioid trial entered its fourth week, plaintiffs jumped into McKesson Corporation’s threshold guidelines and due diligence process.
During testimony on May 24, McKesson Corp. Director of Regulatory Affairs Michael Oriente testified that the Controlled Substance Monitoring Program was being developed as he transitioned into the DRA position.
Under CSMP, a threshold system was created for all schedule two through five substances. Oriente said customers only were permitted to receive up to the threshold number and then they would be blocked. McKesson had a three-level review process to determine if the order was suspicious. Faber
McKesson distribution centers are sectioned into four districts and have five DRA positions, according to Oriente.
CHARLESTON – As the landmark federal opioid trial nears the end of its third week, testimony focused on Cardinal Health’s acknowledgement and regulations related to excessive controlled substance ordering.
The City of Huntington and Cabell County filed suit against three pharmaceutical distribution companies – AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson – in 2017 seeking to hold the companies accountable for their alleged part in the opioid epidemic by sending more than 540,000 opioids each month to independent and chain pharmacies – excluding hospitals and/or hospital pharmacies – located in Cabell County.
On May 20, Michael Fuller, one of the lawyers representing Cabell County, resumed questioning of Michael Mone´, Cardinal Health s former vice president of anti-diversion. Mone´, a licensed pharmacist and lawyer, was employed by the distributor between 2006 and 2012 starting with Cardinal’s subdivision, Medicine Shoppe.