Nearly 10 million opioid doses given in county of less than 25,000 people
CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey’s lawsuit against a Boone County pharmacy alleges it provided nearly 10 million doses of highly addictive prescription painkillers in just 11 years – all for a county with fewer than 25,000 residents.
The Attorney General contends Larry’s Drive-In Pharmacy, of Madison, helped fuel the state’s opioid prescription crisis. His lawsuit alleges the nearly 10 million doses it dispensed proved far greater than the county’s 11 other retail pharmacies, including three operated by national chains.
“Such an extraordinary volume should raise a red flag,” Attorney General Morrisey said. “Every facet of the prescription drug supply chain must do its part to identify potential abuse. This lawsuit illustrates my commitment to taking aggressive action against anyone for allegedly failing to meet that standard.”
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Boone Circuit Court, alleges Larry’s Drive-In Pharmacy failed to identify suspicious prescriptions or determine whether it is dispensing a suspicious number of pills.
The eight-count civil complaint charges Larry’s Drive-In Pharmacy with violations of the state’s Consumer Protection and Credit Act, as well as unfair methods of competition, negligence, unjust enrichment, creating a public nuisance and intentional acts and omissions.
