美国国家公共电台 NPR--Feds sue AmerisourceBergen over 'hundreds of thousands' of alleged opioid violations

Feds sue AmerisourceBergen over 'hundreds of thousands' of alleged¹ opioid violations²

The U.S. Justice Department is suing one of the nation's largest corporations, drug wholesaler³ AmerisourceBergen, for allegedly fueling the nation's deadly opioid crisis.

In its complaint, DOJ officials said the company failed to report the diversion of "hundreds of thousands" of prescription⁴ opioid medications shipped to pharmacies⁵.

The addiction⁶ crisis has killed more than a million people in the U.S., with fatal overdoses claiming 107,000 lives last year alone.

According to the DOJ, AmerisourceBergen and two of its subsidiaries could face penalties running into the billions of dollars.

"Companies distributing opioids are required to report suspicious orders to federal law enforcement," said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, in a statement.

"AmerisourceBergen which sold billions of units of prescription opioids over the past decade repeatedly failed to comply with that requirement," she added.

According to the complaint, AmerisourceBergen executives knew prescription pills shipped to Florida and West Virginia were being diverted and "sold in parking lots for cash."

The DOJ also alleges⁷ two people in Colorado who improperly⁸ received opioid pills shipped by the company "subsequently died of overdoses."

In a statement, AmerisourceBergen denied any wrongdoing.

The company accused the Justice Department of "cherry picking" alleged problems that existed at a handful of pharmacies out the tens of thousands of pharmacies served by the company.

"AmerisourceBergen verified DEA registration⁹ and state board of pharmacy¹⁰ licenses¹¹ before filling any orders, conducted extensive due diligence into these customers, reported every sale of every controlled substances to the DEA," the company said.

In February 2022, AmerisourceBergen reached a national settlement with state and local governments, agreeing to pay $6.1 billion to resolve a tsunami¹² of opioid-related lawsuits¹³.

Federal officials say this civil lawsuit¹⁴ against the company is unrelated to that deal.

This action by the DOJ comes at a moment when drug manufacturers, distributors and pharmacy chains have faced a national reckoning over their role marketing¹⁵ and selling highly addictive¹⁶ pain pills.

The DOJ is also currently suing Walmart for alleged opioid violations at its pharmacy chain. Walmart, too, has denied any wrongdoing.

In all, corporations have agreed to pay more than $50 billion in settlements and penalties, money that's expected to fund drug addiction treatment programs across the U.S.

1 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

2 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

3 wholesaler   

n.批发商

参考例句：

• We're the largest furniture wholesaler in Illinois. 我们是伊利诺伊州最大的家具批发商。 来自辞典例句
• These are used to create profiles for each wholesaler. 这是他日常的工作或通过与批发商的正式会谈。 来自互联网

4 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

5 pharmacies   

药店

参考例句：

• Still, 32 percent of the pharmacies filled the prescriptions. 但仍然有32%的药剂师配发了这两张药方。 来自互联网
• Chinese herbal pharmacies, and traditional massage therapists in the Vancouver telephone book. 中药店，和传统的按摩师在温哥华的电话簿里。 来自互联网

6 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

7 alleges   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The newspaper article alleges that the mayor is corrupt. 报纸上断言该市长腐败。
• Steven was tardy this morning and alleges that his bus was late. 史提芬今天早上迟到的说词是公车误点了。

8 improperly   

不正确地，不适当地

参考例句：

• Of course it was acting improperly. 这样做就是不对嘛！
• He is trying to improperly influence a witness. 他在试图误导证人。

9 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

10 pharmacy   

n.药房，药剂学，制药业，配药业，一批备用药品

参考例句：

• She works at the pharmacy.她在药房工作。
• Modern pharmacy has solved the problem of sleeplessness.现代制药学已经解决了失眠问题。

11 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

12 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

13 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

14 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

15 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

16 addictive   

adj.(吸毒等)使成瘾的，成为习惯的

参考例句：

• The problem with video game is that they're addictive.电子游戏机的问题在于它们会使人上瘾。
• Cigarettes are highly addictive.香烟很容易使人上瘾。