ERLANGER, Ky. -- Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear said he will file another lawsuit against drug distributors in the coming weeks for their role in “the single greatest threat to the lives of Kentuckians.”
At least 42 Kentucky counties have already filed lawsuits against three major drug companies -- AmerisourceBergen, McKesson and Cardinal Health -- since July. In November, Beshear filed suit against Endo Pharmaceuticals and Endo Health Solutions related to drug Opana.
The suits allege the companies did not report suspicious orders as required by law, allowing opioids to flood the market and increase the government's cost to respond to dramatic spikes in fatal overdoses.
“There’s this large litigation going on with multiple states; no, these companies need to be dragged into Kentucky so they have to look at your families and explain themselves,” Beshear said.
Beshear vowed to file another lawsuit Tuesday morning at the Northern Kentucky Heroin Impact Response Task Force meeting at the St. Elizabeth Training and Education Center.
Beshear said he plans on suing “every single one of these companies” that knew or should have known the addictive properties of their product.
More children are in foster care in Kentucky than ever before, Beshear said, and he believes that is related to the opioid crisis. About 60,000 kids live with a family member other than their parents, and over 8,200 children are in foster care, Beshear said.
Boone, Campbell and Kenton are among the Kentucky counties that have already filed suit.
