A new report by The Washington Post and 60 Minutes claims federal law enforcement officers backed down from bringing criminal charges against a prescription drug distributor as the result of political maneuvering by the pharmaceutical industry—an allegation that prompted the Healthcare Distribution Alliance to launch a salvo against the story before it was released.

In the Dec. 18 story, the two news organizations cite former Drug Enforcement Agency investigators about plans to bring criminal charges against McKesson Corp. for allegedly failing to report suspicious orders of opioid painkillers to pharmacies that supplied drug rings. The investigators had hoped to bring stiff penalties against the company as a warning to other distributors, but earlier this year the DEA and Justice Department announced they had reached an agreement with McKesson that let the company off with a fine and promises to do better in the future. http://wapo.st/2zkuOoh

At the heart of story is an ongoing debate about the role of pharmaceutical distributors in fueling the current opioid epidemic. Records obtained by news organizations show some distributors flooded parts of the country with opioid medications far in excess of the populations in those areas. Critics contend the industry has used its political influence to shield it from legal scrutiny.

In a statement released two days before the Post story, HDA CEO John Gray blasted the newspaper for ignoring "critical data" showing that many factors are driving the opioid crisis. He was particularly critical for past coverage implying that a law passed in 2016 made it much more difficult for DEA to pursue cases against drug distributors caught supplying opioid medications to shady pharmacies. The association represents distributors.

"The Post's attempt to blame a technical change in a 2016 law for a crisis that had been building for more than a decade is misguided and misleading," Gray said. "The Washington Post also continues to rely on the word of former DEA officials, some of whom now work with plaintiffs' lawyers filing lawsuits around the opioid abuse crisis."

Gray added that opioids only account for 1 to 2 percent of medications his members deliver to pharmacies and other healthcare providers.

"Expecting distributors to have unilaterally stemmed the flow of opioids — a flow that increased yearly with the explicit oversight and approval of the DEA — is a transparent attempt by former DEA officials to shift the blame for their own failed approach to regulation during the growth and peak of the epidemic," he said. http://bit.ly/2yRLFLn

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