UnitedHealth and Cigna PBMs face Arkansas lawsuit over role in opioid crisis

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has filed a lawsuit against pharmacy benefits managers Optum and Express Scripts, owned by UnitedHealth (NYSE:UNH) and Cigna (NYSE:CI) over their alleged role in the state’s opioid crisis.

The lawsuit filed in the Pulaski County Circuit Court argued that the companies knowingly contributed to the opioid epidemic in Arkansas, where the second-highest opioid prescription rate in the U.S. was recorded in 2016.

“Pill by pill and dollar by dollar, PBMs enabled the opioid epidemic in Arkansas. Today, we begin the process of holding them accountable for their roles in a crisis that has ravaged our state—a crisis they helped cause, contributed to, and furthered,” Griffin said in a statement on Monday.

The lawsuit cited multiple charges against the companies, including allegations over how they controlled access to less addictive pain treatments by placing opioids in lower tiers of formularies and fueling their usage.

The case comes at a time when a number of pharma companies, drug distributors, and pharmacies have agreed to pay billions of dollars to resolve lawsuits related to their role in the opioid crisis.

Burdened by billions of dollars in debt, including those related to opioid-related claims, pharmacy chain operator Rite Aid (OTC:RADCQ) filed for bankruptcy in October.