West Virginia Sues 2nd Pharmacy Over Painkillers

West Virginia’s attorney general has sued a second pharmacy alleging it dispensed too many prescription painkillers and violated state consumer protection laws.

Attorney General Patrick Morrisey says Judy’s Drug Store Inc. of Petersburg dispensed nearly 1.8 million doses of addictive hydrocodone and oxycodone from 2010 to 2016 in a region of fewer than 34,000 residents in Grant, Hardy and Pendleton counties.

According to Morrisey, the conduct helped to fuel West Virginia’s drug crisis and continued despite the pharmacy and several employees paying $2 million to end a federal investigation in 2014.

Proprietor Emily Judy said Thursday she didn’t know about the lawsuit.

The suit seeking penalties, damages and an injunction was filed Thursday in Hardy County Circuit Court.

Two weeks ago, Morrisey’s office sued Larry’s Drive-in Pharmacy in Boone County.

Bridgeport Seeks Federal Drug Unit for Northern W.Va.

Bridgeport’s City Council is seeking a federal narcotics investigation unit for the Northern District of West Virginia.

The Exponent Telegram reports that the council unanimously approved a resolution this week asking the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to assign a tactical diversion squad to the region.

Councilman and former DEA agent Lowell J. Maxey says the unit would focus on prescription drugs. That would give the Greater Harrison County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force more time to investigate other drugs, such as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine

Mayor Bob Greer says he plans to talk to other northern West Virginia mayors about adopting similar resolutions during a West Virginia Municipal League conference next week.

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