
https://www.medlegal360.com/opioid-lawsuits/
The opioid epidemic is nothing more than opioid addiction. When more people around the world become addicted to opioids, it is considered a crisis that is slowly taking millions of lives. The authorities became aware of the epidemic when it began wreaking havoc on the lives of Americans and opioid lawsuits were filed then to harness the opioid deaths.
An opioid is a type of medicine that is used as a pain reliever and anesthetic. This will have an effect on the opioid receptors in nerve cells similar to morphine. Some opioids are stronger than morphine. These are prescription drugs prescribed by doctors to patients suffering from chronic pain. Prescribing wrong medications can be considered a medication error.
The following opioid list includes some of the most well-known medications that, when used excessively, can lead to addiction. Morphine, Tramadol, Codeine, Fentanyl, Carfentanil, Hydrocodone and Oxycodone, Methadone, Opium, Heroin, Hydromorphone, and Oxycodone are a few examples.
Opioid abuse will have a negative impact on a person's physical, behavioral, and psychological well-being. Irritation, mood swings, breathing problems, indecisiveness, running away from responsibilities, panic attacks, less concentration, euphoria, unconsciousness, and pinpointed pupils are some of the symptoms of opioid overdose.
Overdoes of opioid analgesics are toxic to the body and mind and can be detected in urine drug tests. Opioid toxicity can be treated with drug therapies that include the use of an opioid agonist, antagonist, or opioid agonist-antagonist. Previously, lower Naxalone doses were used. Naxalone acts quickly on the patients, bringing them out of their coma. Opioid treatment programs, such as Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), emphasize treatment in conjunction with medication and behavioral therapy. MAT aids in the recovery of people suffering from addiction and opioid withdrawal symptoms.
Purdue Pharma, owned by the Sacklers, declared bankruptcy in 2019 after facing approximately 3000 opioid lawsuits stemming from Oxycontin's adverse side effects. The pharmaceutical company was dissolved, and the Sacklers agreed to contribute $4.5 billion to an opioid addiction and prevention program. Insys Therapeutics filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2021 and agreed to pay $225 million as an opioid settlement after pleading guilty.
Johnson & Johnson and three U.S. drug distributors, McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen, were ready to settle $26 billion in opioid lawsuits filed in various states and counties in July 2021. McKinsey & Company, a consulting firm to various governments and corporations, was sued for promoting the sale of Purdue Pharma's Oxycontin and indirectly contributing to the opioid epidemic.
Pharmaceutical companies are refusing to accept full responsibility, claiming that the illicit black-market sale of opioid pills also contributed to the opioid epidemic. They cannot, however, avoid the class-action lawsuits and mass tort that have been filed against them. The plaintiffs have to keep their medical records intact for pursuing the lawsuits.