Feds Sue PA Drug Wholesaler Over Opioid Sales

HARRISBURG (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department is alleging that a major drug wholesaler, based in Pennsylvania, contributed to the deadly toll from opioids by turning a blind eye to warning signs about suspicious sales to its pharmacy customers. An 87-page civil enforcement action filed today accuses AmerisourceBergen Corp. of failing to properly scrutinize orders for suspicious activity. AmerisourceBergen says the federal complaint is cherry-picking pharmacies among their tens of thousands of customers “while ignoring the absence of action” by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Opioids have been linked to more than 500,000 U.S. deaths during the past two decades; with an estimated 30,000 of those coming from PA since 2014.