McKinsey settles for $573 million over role in opioid crisis

Without admitting wrongdoing, consulting firm McKinsey & Company has reached a settlement over counsel it offered drug manufacturers to boost opioid sales. The high-profile advisor recommended, for example, that Purdue Pharma push lucrative high-dose formulations of OxyContin, counter emotional messages by parents of young overdose victims, and work with other opioid makers to deflect regulatory scrutiny. Under the agreement with 47 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories, McKinsey will pay $573 million and accept court-ordered restrictions on its work with some types of opioids. The settlement funds reportedly will go toward opioid treatment, prevention, and recovery. "We recognize that we did not adequately acknowledge the epidemic unfolding in our communities or the terrible impact of opioid abuse and addiction on millions of families across the country," McKinsey wrote in a public apology in December.