CLEVELAND (NewsNation Now) — Four big pharmacy chains are headed to court Monday over whether they can be held liable for the opioid crisis across America.
Two small counties in Ohio are taking on Walgreens, CVS, Walmart and Giant Eagle in federal court to determine whether retail pharmacy chains created a public nuisance in how they dispensed addictive painkillers.
One of the attorneys representing Lake and Trumbull counties outside Cleveland has said the cost of abating the ongoing crisis in each county is $1 billion.
This will be the first time pharmacy companies have gone to trial to defend themselves. The trial, which is expected to last around six weeks, could set the tone for similar claims against retail pharmacy chains by government entities across the U.S. going forward.