Naming five manufacturers and three distributors, Attorney General Maura Healey said Tuesday that prosecutors in the state are expanding their investigation into opioid sales and marketing to determine whether profits were put above the importance of describing the potential dangers and risks associated with prescription painkillers.
“We are expanding our investigation into opioid manufacturers and distributors to help uncover the roots of this deadly epidemic and protect American families and communities ravaged by this public health crisis,” Healey said in a statement.
Healey, as part of a 39-member bipartisan coalition of attorneys general, said she is investigating manufacturers Purdue Pharma, Endo, Janssen, Teva and Allergan and distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson.
PurduePharma was the exclusive focus of a previously announced investigation.
Healey’s office said attorneys general are using subpoenas and seeking documents about distribution practices at McKesson, Cardinal Health and Amerisource Bergen, who manage about 90 percent of the nation’s opioid distribution.
“The investigation into distributors centers on whether these companies properly tracked and reported suspicious orders of controlled substances,” Healey’s office said. Manufacturers are being investigated for possible deceptive marketing.
