Cardinal Health Statement On Multi-State Inquiry By Attorneys General

DUBLIN, Ohio, Sept. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The people of Cardinal Health care deeply about the devastation opioid abuse has caused American families and communities, and we look forward to working with the attorneys general on their multi-state inquiry as they seek to better understand the myriad causes involved in this major public health issue.

We have long supported state and federal efforts to fight the opioid epidemic and believe more can and should be done to strengthen initiatives that aim to stem the crisis. These initiatives include: working with physicians and healthcare professionals to address overprescribing; educating those in medical, dental and pharmacy schools about responsible opioid use; creating and promoting programs that address prevention and intervention; cooperating with and among communities to bring together groups that provide support for those suffering from addiction; establishing state-level prescription drug monitoring programs; and supporting additional oversight at the federal and state level around opioid use. These efforts draw on or have been supported by recommendations from independent subject matter experts, including the National Academy of Sciences, the Centers for Disease Control, and the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. Many states have already taken steps to limit the number of opioids that can be prescribed for first-time users – and we applaud and support these efforts. 

We have worked for more than ten years to advance many of these initiatives through the Cardinal Health Foundation and in collaboration with local non-profits and pharmacy schools. We have developed prevention education and disposal programs through our Generation Rx initiative – reaching more than a million people of all ages across the country, from school children to senior citizens. These efforts continue to grow in scope and reach, with a focus on students, prescribers and others in need of abuse prevention educational materials and support.

As a pharmaceutical distributor, we operate as part of a multi-faceted and highly regulated healthcare system. We do not manufacture, promote or prescribe prescription medications to members of the public – and believe everyone in that chain, including us, must do their part to address the current crisis. To that end, Cardinal Health maintains a sophisticated, state-of-the-art anti-diversion program that includes advanced analytics, technology and on-the-ground deployment of investigators to evaluate pharmacies, scrutinize controlled substance orders, and identify, block and report to regulators those orders of prescription controlled substances medications that do not meet our strict anti-diversion criteria. 

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SOURCE Cardinal Health