Skip to content

Province Files Lawsuit Against Opioid Industry

Victoria – The Province of B.C. has launched a class action lawsuit against opioid drug companies, whose marketing practices have had devastating impacts on the lives of thousands of British Columbians.

The lawsuit, filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, aims to recover millions of dollars in opioid-related health-care costs incurred by the provincial government.

FVN  reached out to Fraser Health for comment. They referred us to the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, who were the ones who put out the initial release. We are still waiting for a response.

“It’s time opioid drug companies take responsibility for the human and financial toll their products have taken on so many families across British Columbia,” said David Eby, Attorney General. “In court, we will argue that these drug companies deceptively marketed their products knowing full well the potential consequences, and as a result, British Columbia has incurred great costs.”

More than 40 opioid manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors are named as defendants. The government’s filing alleges that the companies’ practices have contributed to an epidemic of addiction, and that they placed profits over the health and safety of the public. It claims that the companies deceived prescribers and patients about the risks and benefits of opioids, and that the companies have seriously harmed the public health-care system.

To assist the court process, government will also be introducing legislation similar to legislation that supported “Big Tobacco” litigation in 1998. The opioid damages and health-care costs recovery act will be introduced in the fall session of the legislature.

The lawsuit

  • The claim is against more than 40 companies involved in manufacturing, wholesaling or distributing brand name and generic opioid drugs.
  • British Columbia’s opioid-related health-care costs are rising each day and are still being determined. It is too soon to speculate on the damages the lawsuit may seek, or how any award might be applied to alleviating government’s health-care costs.
  • If the court certifies the claim as a class action under the Class Proceedings Act, other provinces and territories will be able to join the lawsuit. Discussions with other jurisdictions are underway.
  • A timeline for large and complex litigation like this is difficult to predict. The next step will be to serve each of the defendant companies with a copy of the lawsuit and await their response. Government will then prepare for the certification hearing.

The legislation

  • Government will introduce the opioid damages and health-care costs recovery act in the next sitting of the legislature.
  • The legislation will allow the court to consider statistical data, budget information and other population-based evidence of government’s opioid-related costs, rather than having to introduce each expense record for individual patients.

Prominent Vancouver Lawyer Paul Doroshenko took to social media with his thoughts: There have already been settlements in the US and the feds stepped in a while back to condemn and stop the mischaracterization of these drugs in advertising campaigns. So the province has a legitimate point to be tested in court.

According to Doroshenko, Victoria may be putting itself in a good position in launching this lawsuit as a way to recover costs to the medical system. Those costs in saving lives from possible fatal overdoses.

Share This:

CFC Chilliwack FC

Valley and Canyon Dispatch

Chilliwack Jets

radiodon11@gmail.com fvn@shaw.ca 604 392 5834

abbyTV

Chill TV

Small Business BC

Community Futures

Unique Thrifting

On Key

Related Posts