Summary
The government's focus on the US opioid crisis has been
consistently expanding over the past year beyond manufacturers to
reach prescribers and health care providers who submit claims to
federal health care programs for opioid prescriptions. These
efforts increasingly include investigations under the False Claims
Act and administrative actions, in addition to the more traditional
criminal approach to these issues.
With the Trump administration's public health emergency
orders, it is expected for the government's enforcement
activities, including those instigated by relators and their
counsel, to grow in this area.
In Depth
For the past year, we have witnessed increasing governmental
focus on the US opioid crisis. Pharmaceutical manufacturers and
wholesale distributors have recently seen the most activity with
lawsuits filed by almost every state, multiple municipalities and
several Native American tribal nations seeking recovery of funds
expended
