14 Billion Pills, 6 Years, #1 Market Share, How Many Lives Harmed or Lost?

At a jaw-dropping 14 billion pills distributed over a 6-year period, McKesson tops the charts for the distribution of opioids in the Washington Post’s newly released analysis of the DEA database. But here in the Bay Area, Kaiser Permanente holds the #1 slot at 343,511,800 pills during the same period in Alameda County alone. Kaiser Foundation Hospitals was also the top manufacturer, and Kaiser Foundation Hospital — Livermore was the #1 pharmacy for volume of dispensed opioids.

For a glimpse of company email exchanges and executive testimony, see this separate piece from the Post covering newly unsealed exhibits in a Cleveland-based landmark lawsuit…including the unforgettable story of “Aunt Sandra” and a prescription equalling 50 15-milligram oxycodone pills/day.