A newly formed Department of Justice task force will leverage all available criminal and civil penalties under the law to hold opioid makers and distributors accountable for any potential illegal practices related to the supply of opioid medications, according to an announcement Feb. 27 from Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Here are four things to know about the task force.
1. The DOJ's Prescription Interdiction and Litigation task force will include senior officials from the offices of the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General and the Drug Enforcement Administration, among other legal offices.
2. The task force will build on existing DOJ initiatives to ensure opioid makers and distributors are marketing their products in accordance with federal regulations.
3. Additionally, the task force will examine local and state opioid epidemic lawsuits to determine what assistance federal law can provide to these actions. States, counties and cities in recent months have filed hundreds of lawsuits against drug companies for allegedly engaging in deceptive marketing tactics to promote widespread, unsafe use of opioid medications.
4. The DOJ also said Feb. 27 it plans to submit a statement of interest in a legal action involving hundreds of opioid lawsuits against drugmakers and drug distributors.
"The federal government has borne substantial costs from the opioid crisis, and it must be compensated by any party whose illegal activity contributed to those costs," said the DOJ Feb. 27. "The [DOJ] will also use all criminal and civil tools at its disposal to hold distributors such as pharmacies, pain management clinics, drug testing facilities, and individual physicians accountable for unlawful actions."
To read the full DOJ announcement, click here.
More articles on opioids:
Ohio AG targets 4 drug distributors in second opioid lawsuit
Drug overdose deaths decline in 14 states: 5 things to know
FDA to encourage pharma to sell medication-assisted treatments for opioid addicts