As Opioid Deaths Rise, Chicago Sues Drug Distributors

President Donald Trump signs into law the bipartisan Interdict Act to curtail opioids trafficking, during a ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. The law will provide Customs and Border Protection the latest in chemical screening devices and scientific support to detect and intercept fentanyl and other synthetic opioids at the border.
President Donald Trump signs into law the bipartisan Interdict Act to curtail opioids trafficking, during a ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. The law will provide Customs and Border Protection the latest in chemical screening devices and scientific support to detect and intercept fentanyl and other synthetic opioids at the border. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
President Donald Trump signs into law the bipartisan Interdict Act to curtail opioids trafficking, during a ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. The law will provide Customs and Border Protection the latest in chemical screening devices and scientific support to detect and intercept fentanyl and other synthetic opioids at the border.
President Donald Trump signs into law the bipartisan Interdict Act to curtail opioids trafficking, during a ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. The law will provide Customs and Border Protection the latest in chemical screening devices and scientific support to detect and intercept fentanyl and other synthetic opioids at the border. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

As Opioid Deaths Rise, Chicago Sues Drug Distributors

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The City of Chicago filed a lawsuit earlier this week against the country’s top three drug distributors. The suit alleges that AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp. , Cardinal Health Inc . and McKesson Corp ., failed to reject or report suspicious drug orders and prioritized company profits over public health. The lawsuit follows litigation the city brought against drug companies in 2014. And the Emanuel administration is not alone in its legal action against pharmaceutical companies. 

Governments across the country have filed lawsuits in both state and federal courts against drug distributors and manufacturers. In Illinois, several suburban counties, including DuPage and Will counties, have filed lawsuits of their own. Morning Shift continues its look into the opioid crisis across Chicago and the lawsuit filed this week with Dr. Julie Morita, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health.

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Dr. Julie Morita, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health