Arizona Attorney General Targets Pharmacy Benefit Managers in Opioid Crisis Lawsuit
Arizona’s legal landscape is heating up as Attorney General Kris Mayes takes decisive action against two major pharmacy benefit managers, Optum and Express Scripts. The spotlight is on these companies for their alleged role in exacerbating Arizona’s opioid epidemic.
Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) function as intermediaries, connecting insurance firms, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and pharmacies in the drug supply chain. However, this lawsuit, filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, claims these companies have not been scrutinized enough for their involvement in the opioid crisis.
According to the lawsuit, Optum and Express Scripts have allegedly worked with opioid manufacturers over the past two decades to boost the distribution of these powerful drugs. Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for Mayes’ office, stated, “Basically they were just trying to move as many prescriptions for opioids as quickly as they could to make as much money as they could.”
The legal complaint accuses the PBMs of disseminating materials that minimized the addiction risks of opioids and circumventing measures like prior authorization that could have slowed down the dispensation of these drugs by requiring doctors to verify that prescriptions were medically necessary.
The lawsuit highlights the grim toll of the opioid crisis in Arizona, noting that thousands of Arizonans have succumbed to opioid overdoses. “Pharmacy benefit managers’ conduct significantly increased the availability of opioids in Arizona, contributing to addiction, overdose, and death, and imposing billions of dollars in healthcare, emergency‑response, and societal costs,” a press release from Mayes’ office emphasized.
The lawsuit seeks restitution, civil penalties, and the implementation of corrective programs, along with a court order to halt the companies’ contested practices.
In response to the allegations, an Optum spokesperson refuted the claims in a statement to KJZZ, asserting, “This lawsuit is a misdirected attempt to cast blame on Optum for a public health crisis caused entirely by other actors. Optum did not contribute to this crisis, and on the contrary has been a leader in fighting opioid abuse — proactively and vigorously working for years to implement solutions and support affected communities.”
Express Scripts has not responded to requests for comment from KJZZ.
