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Osceola Co. Sues Drug Companies Over Opioid Epidemic

Courtesy frankieleon / Creative Commons -- http://j.mp/1SPGCl0
Courtesy frankieleon / Creative Commons -- http://j.mp/1SPGCl0

Osceola County is going after pharmaceutical companies. The county filed a lawsuit against several drug companies.

County attorney Andrew Mai said the suit claims the companies’ distribution of opioids is costing the county.

“Some examples were increased jail costs, increased costs to the sheriff related to having to purchase Narcan and some of the other remedial measures related to opioid addiction,” said Mai. Purdue Pharma said in a statement its products account for about two percent of total opioid prescriptions. And that it developed three of the first four FDA-approved opioid medications with abuse-deterrent properties. Osceola County commissioners also recently passed an ordinance stating the opioid crisis is a public nuisance.