Cardinal Health reaches $20 million settlement with West Virginia

Company collaborating with all participants in the pharma supply chain to tackle to the epidemic of prescription drug abuse.

Cardinal Health has reached a settlement with the State of West Virginia, resolving a lawsuit filed by the State in 2012 regarding the company's distribution of controlled substances in West Virginia between 2007 and 2012.

Under the terms of the settlement, Cardinal Health has agreed to pay $20 million to the State of West Virginia to resolve these issues, and the State has released the company from any further actions.

While the company denies the State's allegations, Cardinal Health recognizes that the epidemic of prescription drug abuse is a multifaceted problem driven by addiction and demand. The company takes its role as a wholesale distribution company seriously and is working collaboratively with all participants in the pharmaceutical supply chain – regulators, who license and regulate supply; manufacturers, who produce medications; physicians, who treat patients and prescribe medications; and pharmacists, who fill those prescriptions – to collectively better address the constantly changing tactics utilized by those determined to divert these medications for illegitimate use, while avoiding disruptions for patients with legitimate medical need.

Cardinal Health has teams of employees dedicated to maintaining and continuously improving a sophisticated anti-diversion program that includes advanced analytics, technology, and the deployment of teams of anti-diversion specialists and investigators embedded within its supply chain. Cardinal Health also sponsors and leads numerous efforts used for education and prevention of prescription drug abuse, including its Generation Rx program, which has reached more than 600,000 people across the country.