California's pharmacy board fined AmerisourceBergen for shipping "excessive" amounts of opioids and other controlled substances to pharmacies across the state.
AmerisourceBergen's wholesaler permit was also reprimanded, meaning the company won't be able to renew its permit until it pays the California Board of Pharmacy $150,000.
The company was also cited for failing to report suspicious orders to authorities, STAT reported.
AmerisourceBergen sold excessive amounts of opioids without reporting suspicious orders to the Drug Enforcement Administration and failed to ensure controlled substances were sold for a legitimate medical purpose, according to STAT.
AmerisourceBergen told STAT: "AmerisourceBergen is committed to combating opioid abuse and has always complied with the Controlled Substances Act. We ship only to pharmacies with valid state board of pharmacy and Drug Enforcement Administration licenses. We take our responsibilities seriously and continue to evolve our order-monitoring program and diversion control efforts in line with our understanding of guidance put forth from regulatory authorities."
Last month, 21 states rejected an offer from AmerisourceBergen as well as Cardinal Health and McKesson to settle federal opioid litigation for $18 billion paid over 18 years. In response, the three wholesalers offered to pay another $1 billion in legal fees.
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