Long Island townships, villages, and fire districts are suing consulting firm McKinsey, accusing the firm of boosting opioid sales, which they claim resulted in the deaths of thousands of New Yorkers.
The company was charged with violating state business laws that govern deceptive acts and practises, false advertising, negligence, misrepresentation, and fraud. McKinsey did not respond to the lawsuit right away.
According to the lawsuit, the municipalities suffered economic damage as a result of McKinsey, including treatment costs for those suffering from opioid-related addiction, infants born with opioid-related medical conditions, and law enforcement and public safety response to the opioid epidemic.
The lawsuit even alleges that prescription opioid sales have increased since the mid-1990s as manufacturers pushed "aggressive sales strategies." According to the plaintiffs, there has been a "dramatic increase" in opioid prescriptions in New York, which has resulted in an increase in opioid abuse, dependence, addiction, and overdose deaths.
The lawsuit even claims that prescription opioids kill hundreds of New Yorkers each year, while thousands more suffer from negative health consequences. The plaintiffs claim that the addiction or death of a friend or family member has ruined the lives of countless others. Every community in New York is affected by the opioid addiction and death crisis.
According to the lawsuit, McKinsey began "turbocharging Purdue's Sales Engine" and increasing OxyContin revenue for Purdue in 2013. OxyContin is an oxycodone narcotic used to treat moderate to severe pain, but it is highly addictive and addictive. When combined with other substances, particularly alcohol or other illicit drugs like heroin or cocaine, it can cause respiratory distress and death.
The lawsuit further notifies that McKinsey advised Purdue as part of the "Project Turbocharge" recommendations that having people visit high-prescribing doctors multiple times per year increased sales. According to the plaintiffs, McKinsey determined that the top half of prescribing physicians "write on average 25 times more scripts per prescriber" than the lower half.
The lawsuit mentions that OxyContin sales peaked in 2013, the year McKinsey and Purdue implemented "Project Turbocharge." According to the plaintiffs, overall opioid prescriptions peaked three years ago. Purdue eventually discontinued the drug's marketing in 2018.
