Large pharmacy chains did little to stop opioid abuse in Northeast Ohio counties, newly-unsealed lawsuits say

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Even as more people started overdosing and dying from opioids, pharmacies in Lake and Trumbull counties continued to fill patient orders for the powerful painkillers with little regard for whether too many pills were flooding the streets, attorneys argued in court filings unsealed Wednesday.

The amended lawsuits filed by the Northeast Ohio counties, part of an ongoing series of lawsuits overseen by a judge in Cleveland, say some of the nation’s largest pharmacy chains failed to properly track large and diverted orders. While high numbers of oxycodone, hydrocodone and other pills were distributed throughout the country, the companies took few steps to let the Drug Enforcement Administration know if orders were too big or suspect, according to the suits.