Kentucky's attorney general has filed a lawsuit against Express Scripts, a major pharmacy benefit manager, accusing the company of being a central figure in a chain of opioid dispensing that contributed to a deadly addiction crisis in the state. The lawsuit alleges that Express Scripts colluded with opioid manufacturers in deceptive marketing practices to boost sales of these addictive drugs.
The lawsuit highlights the significant increase in prescription opioids sold in the U.S. between 1999 and 2010, with Kentucky being one of the states hardest hit by the resulting overdose epidemic. The suit claims that Express Scripts played a key role in facilitating the oversupply of opioids through intentional actions that prioritized profits over public health.
