Pierce County sues big pharma over opioid prescriptions, alleges 'deceptive practices'

TACOMA, Wash. -- Pierce County will move forward with a lawsuit against "Big Pharma," alleging the manufacturers of pain pills are to blame for the opioid crisis that is sweeping Washington.

The county alleges that companies like Purdue Pharma engaged in deceptive marketing practices by convincing doctors, who in turn convinced patients, that pills like oxycodone were not addictive.

Mark Lindquist, the county's prosecutor, told Q13 News This Morning that a suit would be filed in federal court Thursday.



"What we're focusing on in the lawsuit are deceptive marking practices of Purdue and other pharmaceutical companies that helped create this crisis," Lindquist said.

The county announced plans for a lawsuit last month. Everett, Tacoma and Skagit County are also suing big pharmaceutical companies over opioid practices.

Between 1997 and 2011, opioid prescriptions rose more than 500 percent, Pierce County said in a release. In 2015, the number of overdose deaths in Washington exceeded the number of deaths from car accidents.

Any money garnered from the suit will go to offset costs associated with fighting the epidemic, including addiction and homeless services, Lindquist said.