Judge to decide how much pharmacies owe over opioid crisis

By MARK GILLISPIE
Associated Press

CLEVELAND (AP) — A hearing began Tuesday in federal court in Cleveland that will help a judge determine how much CVS, Walgreens and Walmart should pay two northeast Ohio counties to help them ease the continuing opioid crisis. A jury in November concluded that the three pharmacy chains were responsible for damage wrought by the opioid epidemic in Lake and Trumbull counties. Plaintiff attorneys before trial said the cost to abate the crisis is around $1 billion for each county. Attorneys for the pharmacy chains in recent court filings said the amount is far lower and damage caused by others should be excluded from any amounts ordered by U.S. District Judge Dan Polster.