Illinois Public Employee Risk Pools Sue Opioid Makers, Distributors

Two Illinois employee risk pools have become the first institutions of their kind in the state to sue opioid manufacturers and distributors.

The Intergovernmental Risk Management Agency and Intergovernmental Personnel Benefit Cooperative filed the complaint Monday in the Circuit Court of Cook County, accusing the defendants of deceptively promoting the use of opioids for chronic pain management and, in the case of the distributors, failing to properly act as gatekeepers against overprescription.

The complaint against 12 drugmakers, including Purdue, Pharma and Allergan, distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health and Amerisource Bergen, professional organizations such as the American Academy of Pain Medicine, and two doctors alleges conspiracy, negligence, insurance fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation and violations of the state Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. It also accuses the defendants of public nuisance violations — a charge against Purdue recently tossed by a New Jersey court.