CRA consultants assess distributor practices for controlled substances

CRA was retained by distributors of pharmaceutical products in national litigation relating to opioid products. CRA addressed claims by state and local governments that distributors failed to meet their obligation to prevent diversion of controlled substances, resulting in various harms to individuals and governments. CRA’s work focused on explaining the role of distributors within the pharmaceutical supply chain; describing the information available to distributors to identify diversion, relative to information available to other key parties; and discussing the instruments available to distributors to control diversion, relative to those available to other parties. CRA also addressed impacts on health care costs and mortality, and examined supply-side issues, including the alleged relevance of illicit drugs such as fentanyl and heroin.