Reckitt Benckiser to pay millions for inflating price of opioid treatment

addiction recovery ebulletin Reckitt Benckiser pays

Drop In the Bucket –

Oct. 25, 2019 – The company in July agreed to pay the federal government $1.4 billion to resolve its potential criminal and civil liability regarding the marketing of Suboxone, with $500 million going to the federal government and up to $200 million split among several states. For example, Washington state said it received $2.2 million, West Virginia received nearly $12 million and Ohio said it will receive $39.4 million. All states will use a large percentage of their settlements to reimburse federal Medicaid programs.

Suboxone is a drug that reduces withdrawal symptoms and is used to wean heroin and opioid users off the addictive drugs while they are undergoing treatment. The medication and its active ingredient, buprenorphine, are still addictive. According to the Department of Justice, a multistate investigation showed that Reckitt Benckiser knowingly promoted Suboxone to doctors, who later prescribed the drugs for unsafe, ineffective and medically unnecessary uses.