EPIDEMIC

Newly Released Data: 76 Billion Opioid Pills Flooded U.S. in Six Years

Three companies reportedly produced 88 percent of the opioid pills in the U.S. between 2006 and 2012.

Pharmaceutical companies flooded the U.S. market with 76 billion opioid pills between 2006 and 2012, according to newly released data from a Drug Enforcement Administration database. The ARCOS database, which tracks the path of pain pills sold in the U.S., was released after a judge lifted its protective order Monday evening. The Washington Post reports the data shows that three companies manufactured 88 percent of the opioids in the U.S. during that time: SpecGx, Actavis Pharma, and Par Pharmaceutical. The database also lists McKesson Corp., Walgreens, Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen, CVS, and Walmart as the six companies responsible for distributing 75 percent of the pills in those six years.