STATE OF ADDICTION: Beshear sues pharmaceutical distributor for ‘flooding’ Kentucky with opioids

Kentucky's Democratic attorney general has sued a national opioid distributor for allegedly using misleading business practices to flood the state with dangerous and highly addictive prescription painkillers.

Andy Beshear announced Monday he has sued the San Francisco-based McKesson Corporation for, among other things, failing to report large volumes of opioid shipments in eastern Kentucky with state and federal authorities.

Calling the opioid epidemic the number one challenge of our time, Beshear filed what could be a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Mckesson, "with all the damages they have done to our communities, it is my responsibility as Attorney General to drag them into a Kentucky court and make them answer to our families."

Beshear says in Floyd County alone between 2010 and 2016, the company shipped more than 18 million doses of prescription opioids. That's enough for 477 pills for every man, woman and child in the county based on its population of 38,638.

McKesson has settled two similar lawsuits with the federal government in recent years.

This is the second lawsuit Beshear has filed against opioid distributors. He sued Endo Pharmaceuticals and Endo Health Solutions in November.

WLKY requested a comment from McKesson and they responded, in part, "Mckesson delivers life saving medicines to million of Americans each day and is committed to maintaining-and continuously enhancing strong programs that detect and prevent opioid diversion. Mckesson only distributes controlled substances, including opioids, to DEA registered and state licensed pharmacies."