“Big Pharma” is now being targeted with suits
that seek monetary settlements for their part in the opioid epidemic which led
to the death of over 70,000 people in America in 2017 alone. However, a poll depicts
that the majority of folks do not blame these drug companies first for the massive
loss of life around the U.S.
According
to the Rasmussen Report, a national online and telephone survey reveals 32% of
adults in America think drug businesses are responsible for the opioid
epidemic. An additional 55% place the blame elsewhere: 23% stated the blame
lies with physicians who prescribe the drugs and 32% claim the individual who
uses them is responsible for their fate.
The
poll shows 13% are undecided.
The
AP (Associated Press) reported upon the negotiated
end to the initial federal lawsuit that placed blame on and sought reparations
from drug manufacturers:
The
nation’s 3 largest drug distributors and major drug manufacturer agreed to an eleventh-hour,
$260M settlement recently over the awful toll taken by opioids in 2 Ohio
counties, which averted the 1st federal trial over the crisis.
The
trial that involved Akron’s Summit County and Cleveland’s Cuyahoga County, was
seen as a crucial test case which could’ve gauged the strength of the opposing parts’
arguments, as well as prodded the industry and the industry’s foes toward a
nationwide resolution of almost all suits over opioids, the scourge blamed for
400,000 deaths in the U.S. in the last 20 years.
Drug
distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen are set to pay a
combined $215M, according to Hunter Shkolnik, an attorney for Cuyahoga County.
Israeli-based drug manufacturer Teva is set to contribute $20M in cash and $25M
worth of a drug utilized in the treatment of opioid addiction, generic
Suboxone.
Associated
Press reported that this settlement doesn’t involve any admission of guilt by
the drug businesses.
On
October 21 – 22, the survey of 1,000 adults in America was conducted. The
margin of sampling error is minus or plus 3 percentage points with a 95% level
of confidence.
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