A shareholder lawsuit claims McKesson failed to audit controls for opioid-based painkillers, according to Bloomberg.
Here are seven things to know.
1. The lawsuit was filed two months ago by shareholder Chaile Steinberg against former and current McKesson executives and directors.
2. Although sections of the complaint were previously sealed, all parts became public per an order from Delaware Chancery Judge Sam Glasscock III, according to the report.
3. The complaint was filed after McKesson agreed in a settlement to improve monitoring of opioid sales, Bloomberg reports. However, the complaint alleges the company's directors failed to comply.
4. According to the report, the lawsuit also alleges McKesson directors did not take any responsibility for the national opioid epidemic.
5. McKesson responded in an emailed statement to Becker's, calling the lawsuit's claims unproven allegations rather than judicial determinations of fact. "McKesson believes the complaint contains numerous defects which we will address through the legal process," the company added.
6. Issues leading up to the lawsuit began in 2005, when federal prosecutors initially began investigating McKesson over "its filling of suspicious opioid orders from illegal internet pharmacies," the report states. Bloomberg adds McKesson ultimately agreed to settle the allegations for $13.3 million and agreed to strengthen oversight of opioid shipments. The recent lawsuit alleges McKesson did not comply.
7. In 2015, McKesson also agreed to pay $150 million to settle claims with the Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration and various U.S. Attorneys offices alleging suspicious order reporting practices for opioid-based painkillers.
Read the fill Bloomberg report here.
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