Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
5 <br />distributors instead have chosen to abuse their privileged position, lining their pockets by <br />shipping massive quantities of drugs to pharmacies and dispensaries without performing any <br />checks — with devastating consequences to North Carolina and its citizens. <br />No action has yet been filed on behalf of North Carolina Counties against the opioid <br />distributors. North Carolina law affords the Counties of North Carolina the means to hold these <br />distributors accountable for their actions and to stop the influx of these powerful drugs. North <br />Carolina law require distributors to comply with State and Federal law, which included <br />identifying, investigating, and reporting suspicious orders of controlled substances. The <br />distributors' known violations of these laws give North Carolina Counties strong claims for <br />significant monetary relief. <br />Distributors of opioid medications are vulnerable to damage claims and penalty actions <br />under theories such as public nuisance and negligence. Potentially recoverable damages include <br />(1) money wrongfully paid for opioids through government -payor programs including employee <br />insurance; (2) costs for providing medical care, additional therapeutic, and prescription drug <br />purchases, and other treatments for patients suffering from opioid - related addiction or disease, <br />including overdoses and deaths; (3) costs for providing treatment, counseling, rehabilitation <br />services; (4) costs for providing treatment of infants born with opioid - related medical conditions; <br />(5) costs for providing welfare or protective services for children whose parents suffer from <br />opioid - related disability or incapacitation; and (6) costs directly associated with law enforcement <br />and public safety relating to the opioid epidemic. Local and state governments may also be <br />entitled to injunctive relief to prevent further unlawful distribution of these drugs. <br />North Carolina County Opioid Litigation - Privileged and Confidential 2 <br />