Dozens of hospitals in Texas filed a lawsuit accusing pharmaceutical companies and pharmacy giants of fueling the opioid crisis in the state, Fox 4 reported.
Hospitals and government officials accuse the companies of marketing opioids without being fully transparent about the risks.
The hospitals are seeking billions of dollars in damages to help pay for treatment required for the growing number of patients addicted to opioids.
The lawsuit, filed on Sept. 3, claims the number of opioid-related deaths tripled in Texas between 1999 and 2015, with 14,171 opioid-related deaths reported during that period.
The defendants, which include Walgreens and CVS Health, have 30 days to file an answer once they're served with the lawsuit.