British Columbia Attorney General David Abby said Wednesday that it is the largest settlement of a government health care claim in Canadian history. “We know that no amount of money can bring back those who died, but we are committed to holding companies and others accountable for alleged wrongdoing in the production and distribution of opioid products,” Abby said in a statement Wednesday. In a lawsuit filed in 2018, the county targeted more than 40 drug manufacturers and retailers in a bid to recoup the health care costs associated with the drug crisis that has killed thousands across the province. Abby said the proposed arrangement has been accepted by governments across Canada and is working on a plan to determine how the money will be distributed, based on the impact of each province. “The money will be used to support provincial programs to combat the opioid epidemic that we believe Purdue’s actions have contributed through misleading marketing,” he said. More than 27,000 people died across the country from toxic street drugs between 2016 and September 2021. Officials say Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, downplayed the risks of its drugs when it advertised them to doctors, especially when it came to their addictive potential, contributing to the opioid crisis. The resulting health care costs, such as addiction treatment, emergency treatment and hospital bills, were the result of “misconduct by opioid manufacturers, distributors and their advisers,” the province said. The lawsuit was the first of its kind by a Canadian government. Purdue Pharma Canada denied any wrongdoing when the action was first brought. A statement from the company at the time said it complied with Canadian and international drug marketing rules, as well as the code of conduct prescribed by Innovative Medicines Canada, an industry group for pharmaceutical companies. Eby said many opioid manufacturers, distributors, and some of the companies they work with are still named in the lawsuit and the province will “chase them aggressively.” BC says it hopes this settlement will pave the way for further similar deals. The application for certification of the class action in the Supreme Court of BC. is scheduled for fall 2023.
