Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has filed a lawsuit against pharmacy benefit managers Express Scripts Inc. and Optum Inc., along with their subsidiaries, accusing them of contributing to the opioid crisis in the state. Pharmacy benefit managers play a crucial role in overseeing prescription drug coverage for large clients such as health insurers and employers, influencing which drugs are included in coverage and where patients can fill their prescriptions.
The lawsuit alleges that the companies profited from the opioid crisis by negotiating favorable deals with opioid manufacturers and failing to take adequate measures to curb excessive opioid prescriptions. According to the lawsuit, opioids were the most commonly prescribed controlled substances in Arkansas in 2022, with the state having the second-highest opioid prescribing rate in the nation that year.
