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As it became increasingly evident that the opioid epidemic was sparked and fanned by "legal" drug dealers such as doctors, pain clinics and pharmacies, residents across Appalachia and the Rust Belt cried out for justice. They recently got a little.
A federal jury in Ohio decided CVS, Walgreens and Walmart pharmacies recklessly distributed absurdly large numbers of the pain pills in Lake and Trumbull counties. This was the first time pharmacy companies decided to go to trial in an attempt to defend themselves. But the jury determined the pharmacies did, indeed, play an outsized role in poisoning our communities.
"The law requires pharmacies to be diligent in dealing drugs. This case should be a wake-up call that failure will not be accepted," said Mark Lanier, an attorney for the counties. "The jury sounded a bell that should be heard through all pharmacies in America."
Of course there will be appeals. There certainly were many entities at fault. But the very fact responsible pharmacies have since changed their practices in dealing with opioids and some other kinds of medication indicates they know they should have been better gatekeepers.
Approximately 80 million prescription painkillers were dispensed in Trumbull County alone between 2012 and 2016 -- equivalent to 400 for every resident. Lake County saw approximately 61 million pills distributed during that period.
A federal judge will determine this spring what consequences the three pharmacies will face in the Ohio case. It is a shame so many have paid already with their lives.