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Major Drugstore Chains Shift Blame to Doctors in Opioid Crisis Lawsuit

The chains, including CVS and Rite Aid, sued unnamed doctors in two Ohio counties and claimed they were the real culprits of the opioid crisis.

Drugstore chains including CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid have reportedly sued doctors in two Ohio counties, claiming that the individuals who wrote the prescriptions were to blame for the opioid crisis. According to The Washington Post, the pharmacy chains claimed doctors and other prescribers in Cuyahoga and Summit counties need to also pay some sort of penalty for their role if the drugstores are found liable at trial. In nearly identical lawsuits, the chains identified “John and Jane Does 1-500” as the doctors—claiming they would name the physicians when their identities became apparent during further legal proceedings. The new legal action was reportedly prompted by the counties suing the pharmacists that worked for the major drug chains.