After its initial attempt failed to get off the ground, New Hampshire has restarted its investigation into potentially deceptive marketing practices by opioid manufacturers, according to New Hampshire Public Radio.
In September, New Hampshire Attorney General Joe Foster announced his office was investigating concerns that drug manufacturers had overstated the benefits of opioids while downplaying the risk of addiction, leading the state to pay for "potentially dangerous and unnecessary opioid prescriptions."
But that investigation stalled out after pharmaceutical companies challenged the decision in court, and a judge ruled that the New Hampshire AG acted without approval from the state legislature, according to NHPR.
Now, the state has approved a $100,000 contract with the law firm Cohen, Milstein, Sellers & Toll. Foster told NHPR the state would be looking specifically at whether drug manufacturers made marketing claims that opioids were not addictive.
In March, Endo Pharmaceuticals agreed to pay $200,000 to settle claims with New York state that the company improperly marketed its opioid Opana ER. Previous studies have shown that public and private insurers have taken on the increased financial burdens associated with the opioid epidemic. Last summer, an Office of Inspector General report found Medicare Part D spending on opioids increased 156 percent over the last nine years.
To learn more:
- here's the NHPR article
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