The number of deaths attributed to the opioid epidemic is staggering. Across the country, millions of people are overdosing on these powerful drugs – thousands are paying with their lives as a result. This problem has not only resulted in tragedies, however. It has also placed an incredible monetary burden on cities, states and other public entities. Baron & Budd shareholder Burton LeBlanc recently appeared on the CBS news magazine 60 Minutes to talk about a powerful tool attorneys now have to help plaintiffs in lawsuits against opioid manufacturers.
The ARCOS Database
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has a database known as ARCOS (Automation of Reports and Consolidated Orders System). ARCOS tracks all the transactions involving opioids and other controlled substances. It shows exactly how many drugs are distributed to pharmacies across the country.
Earlier in 2018, a federal judge ordered the DEA to give plaintiffs’ lawyers access to this database. As LeBlanc explained to 60 Minutes reporter Bill Whitaker, attorneys can now use the database to help their cases.
According to Mike Moore, another attorney representing governmental entities in opioid cases, the data is evidence that drug manufacturers give little thought to supplying opioids to areas of the country where overdoses frequently occur.
“If you’ve got walking around sense and you care, you’re gonna check before you send nine million pills to a little, bitty county in West Virginia or Mississippi or Louisiana or Ohio,” Moore told 60 Minutes. “You’re gonna check if you care.
“I don’t think they (opioid manufacturers) cared enough,” Moore added. “And if they cared enough, maybe we would not have lost 500,000 lives from this problem.”
If you represent a governmental entity that has been burdened with expenses due to the ongoing opioid crisis, Baron & Budd may be able to help. Please contact us online or call 866-504-7321 to learn more.
