By Melissa Busch, DrBicuspid.com associate editor
December 6, 2021 — Henry Schein has agreed to pay $500,000 to settle a case in which the wholesale distributor allegedly improperly distributed hundreds of thousands of painkillers to dentists and other doctors despite red flags of drug abuse, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Schein entered into the settlement agreement to resolve violations of the U.S. Controlled Substance Act (CSA) for purportedly distributing prescription drugs to two dentists and three other doctors in five states between 2012 and 2018, stated the release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
“Henry Schein, Incorporated played a role in fueling the opioid crisis in several states and today’s announcement provides some measure of justice for those who have suffered as a result of their greed and unlawful actions,” stated Todd Scott, special agent in charge and head of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Louisville Division, which includes West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, in the release.
In a statement to DrBicuspid.com, Henry Schein called the opioid crisis in the U.S. a “terrible national tragedy” and denied any wrongdoing related to the settlement.
Source: Henry Schein agrees to pay $500K to settle opioid case / Dr. Bicuspid.com