AG Fox Wants Stiffer Penalties for Irresponsible Drug Manufacturers
Montana Attorney General Tim Fox and a bipartisan coalition of other attorney generals are calling on congressional leaders to pass measures to help hold opioid manufacturers accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic.
“Diversion of prescription opioids has devastated families across the country, including here in Montana,” said Attorney General Tim Fox. “The consequences of turning a blind eye toward suspicious opioid orders cannot merely be a cost of doing business. These bills will help states like ours hold opioid manufacturers appropriately accountable for their actions.”
Opioid manufacturers have a duty to ensure they take steps to prevent drugs from entering the illicit market. The measure would increase the civil penalty from $10,000 to $100,000 per violation for negligence in reporting suspicious activity. It would also double the criminal penalty to $500,000 for companies which willfully disregard or knowingly fail to keep proper reporting systems or fail to report suspicious activity.