>

And still the only people screwed over are those who need short or long term pain management. It's a disaster and why I hope to avoid serious injury. You will not get adequate assistance in this environment.
Again ? A settlement reached this year has them (along with two other US based distributors) currently paying $6 billion over the next 18 years to several states that sued them for their role in fueling the opioid epidemic.
Edit: $6 billion is their portion, the total shared among the three entities is $19 billion. >

Peanuts in comparison to the damage they have caused >

And the money they made >

Correct me if I am wrong here please. I work in this field but not in a way where I would know these answers. When these pharmaceutical companies get their quota of API it's approved by the DEA correct? All of this is regulated strictly. The government knows exactly how much API these companies are asking for and getting. How is it they get to play dumb in these sort cases? I understand the companies should pay the fines and such but it's all approved by the government. Or am I wildly off base here?
EDIT: API = Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient AKA your morphine sulfate, oxycodone hydrochloride, etc >

No, you're right. In the years 2014 through 2018, pharmaceutical companies overproduced Opioids, and did so in guidance with DEA quotas. In other words, the DEA knowingly overshot their estimates and therefore contributed to an abundance of opioids in those years. It's insane.