Delaware County in Pennsylvania sues drug companies amid opioid crisis

MEDIA, Pa. - Delaware County in southeastern Pennsylvania is suing 11 pharmaceutical companies and their consulting physicians for what county officials call the deceitful promotion of opioids.

Officials said Thursday in announcing the lawsuit that the companies have misrepresented the dangers of long-term use of the prescription painkillers, leading many unsuspecting consumers down a path of addiction and death.

The lawsuit comes amid a national opioid crisis that continues to kill tens of thousands of people each year.

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Forty-one attorneys general, including Delaware's Matt Denn and Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, say they’ve served subpoenas requesting information from companies that make prescription painkillers and demanded information from three distributors.

Many state and local governments have taken legal action against drugmakers in efforts to stem the crisis. Delaware County says its lawsuit is the first filed by a Pennsylvania county.

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