Kentucky attorney general sues OptumRx, alleging ‘reckless’ promotion of opioids
Republished from Kentucky Lantern
Attorney General Russell Coleman has added OptumRx, a prescription drug benefit provider, to his September lawsuit against Express Scripts and related entities.
In the amended lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court in Lexington, Coleman alleges that “OptumRx played a central role in the reckless promotion, dispensing and oversupply of opioids.”
Kentucky attorney general sues Express Scripts alleging company’s actions fueled opioid crisis
The original lawsuit was filed in Jessamine County. Optum has not yet responded to an email sent to its newsroom address.
“The opioid crisis was fueled and sustained by those involved in the supply chain of Opioids,” says the lawsuit, adding that Optum and the other defendants “have hidden their conduct through non-transparent business practices and by requiring each entity with whom they conduct business, such as opioid manufacturers, to enter into confidentiality agreements or otherwise keep their agreements confidential.”
Overdose deaths in Kentucky decreased in 2023 for the second year in a row, according to the Drug Overdose Fatality Report. In 2022, 2,135 Kentuckians died from an overdose, marking the first decline since 2018. Most — 90% — of those deaths were from opioids.
In 2023, the number of fatal overdoses was down to 1,984. Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, accounted for 1,570 of those — about 79% of the 2023 deaths.
“No state has been harder hit by the drug crisis than Kentucky,” Coleman said in a statement. “These groups pushed a profit-fueled agenda at the expense of Kentucky families, who are left with empty seats at the dinner table. Our Office will continue to hold those behind the drug crisis accountable for their devastating actions.”
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