After major drug distribution companies win lawsuit, West Virginia takes a look at opioid prevention solutions going forward

WEST VIRGINIA (WOAY) – AmericSource Bergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson, three major drug distribution companies charged with playing a hand in West Virginia’s opioid crisis have won the landmark trial nearly a year later.

U.S District Judge David Faber ruled that the companies cannot be held liable for the state’s opioid crisis.

Following his ruling, Dr. Clay Marsh with WVU Medicine addressed the issue in Tuesday’s Covid-19 briefing, saying that drug prevention programs are gradually being put into place across the state to help alleviate the problem and can be a further solution going forward.

However, he said that there is still a lot of work to be done to get to the source of such a problem as it deals with multiple factors, such as spreading awareness and education across generations of people.

“This is a very significant problem,” Dr. Marsh says. “Certainly more resources put smartly as we have tried to do in West Virginia is part of the solution, but this is a generational problem, and not only do we need to reach out to the people who are suffering today with this problem, but very importantly we also need to take care of our children.”

Another case was expected to commence in the Kanawha County Circuit Court Tuesday to seek financial abatement for treatment, education, drug prevention, and other resources for counties across the state.

Sponsored Content