MONTICELLO – Sullivan County has formally filed suit against a range of pharmaceutical companies, asking the courts to punish these firms for engaging in practices.
Joining other New York State counties, including Dutchess and Orange,
that argue that large pharmaceutical manufacturers have pursued profits
at the expense of taxpayers, Sullivan County is seeking to recoup alleged
damages from these companies, along with penalties and fines.
Legislator Alan Sorensen has been pushing this issue for the past few years. He says it is time to make the makers pay.
“I think they knew all along that these opioids were going to be addictive but, you know, for the bottom line, and for profit motive, they’ve pushed these opioids to doctors to prescribe to patients and now, we’re seeing the results of that predatory practice; an opioid crisis where tens of thousands of people have died on an annual basis,” he said.
Sorensen calls it a “national security threat, long term.” He said he has not yet, however, talked to federal lawmakers, including Congressman John Faso. He did bring it up with Faso’s predecessor, Rep. Chris Gibson.
“He is the one that suggested to me that Congress had the ability to convene hearings, to revisit whether the United States should continue to allow direct to consumer advertising of pharmaceutical products.”
Many of the companies making them are based oversees but have a large presence in the United States.
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