Dr. Scott Morrow, San Mateo County health officer, looks at a map of the county in his office while discussing efforts to combat the opioid epidemic by working with physicians who prescribe medication.
The city of San Francisco has joined more than 1,200 other cities, counties and other groups in suing prescription drug makers and distributors in federal court for their alleged role in the nation’s opioid epidemic.
San Francisco filed its lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco on Tuesday, accusing the companies of fraudulent practices, negligence, conspiracy, creation of a racketeering enterprise and public nuisance.
The case is expected to be transferred to a federal court in Ohio, where U.S. District Judge Dan Polster of Cleveland is coordinating more than 1,200 similar lawsuits filed nationwide by cities, counties, states, Native American tribes, unions and other organizations.
Other Northern California counties that previously filed cases that have been transferred to Polster’s court include Marin, Monterey, Napa and San Mateo counties.
San Francisco’s 162-page lawsuit accuses drug makers such as Purdue Pharma L.P. of Stamford, Conn., of misleading doctors and patients about the dangers of pain-killing opioid drugs such as OxyContin, oxycodone and fentanyl.
It accuses distribution companies of failing to effectively monitor and report suspicious sales of the drugs as required by state and federal laws.
The Healthcare Distribution Alliance, a trade association for the companies, responded to the lawsuit by saying the opioid epidemic would be better addressed by examination of the root causes rather than lawsuits.
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