Manufacturers and distributors of the drugs are coming under increased scrutiny for what critics say is their role in helping to fan the flames of the addiction crisis.
Here in California, the state’s Board of Pharmacy says Amerisource Bergen, an opioid distributor, furnished excessive amounts of hydrocodone and oxycodone to pharmacies in California. But it did not determine whether the opiates were being purchased for legitimate medical purposes. Amerisource Bergen could have its license to operate in California suspended or revoked, pending a judge’s review.
The California Report's Saul Gonzalez talked to Steven Rich about the issue. He’s part of a team of journalists at the Washington Post who’ve been looking at where opiates distributors send their pills.