Walgreens, however, denies liability and has not admitted fault in the settlement agreement. The company asserts that it did not manufacture, market, or distribute opioids to “pill mills” or online pharmacies.
The city of San Francisco has witnessed a 500% increase in opioid-related overdose deaths between 2014 and 2020. Drug-related emergency room visits at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center account for a quarter of all visits, with approximately 30 cases per day, as reported by Dr. Christopher Colwell, the hospital’s chief of emergency medicine. He testified in federal court, emphasizing that individuals from diverse backgrounds are affected by drug-related emergencies.
Prior to this settlement, San Francisco’s city attorney had obtained settlements from manufacturers such as Endo, Allergan, Teva, and Johnson & Johnson, as well as pharmacy chains CVS and Walmart and distributors McKesson, Cardinal, and AmerisourceBergen.
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