Supreme Court Enables N.Y. to Collect $200 Million Opioids Surcharge

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from pharmaceutical trade groups and industry, clearing the way for the state of New York to collect $200 million in surcharges levied against opioid manufacturers and distributors.

The Association for Accessible Medicines, the Healthcare Distribution Alliance (HDA) and opioids manufacturer Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals had challenged the state’s Opioid Stewardship Act of 2018, which introduced the surcharges to offset the state’s costs for dealing with the opioid epidemic.

HDA members McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen ― the three largest U.S. opioid distributors ― have previously agreed to pay $21 billion to resolve thousands of lawsuits alleging they facilitated the epidemic.