Alaska will receive $1,329,482 from a multistate settlement with one of the largest consulting companies – McKinsey & Company – resolving investigations into the firm’s role in assisting opioid companies to promote their drugs and profit from the opioid epidemic.

Alaska joined a coalition of attorneys general from 47 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories in the $573 million settlement.

According to the settlement, McKinsey must prepare tens of thousands of its internal documents, detailing its work for Purdue Pharma and other opioid companies. These documents will be posted for public disclosure online. McKinsey also agreed to continue its investigation into allegations that two of its partners attempted to destroy documents in response to investigations of Purdue Pharma. It will also implement a strict ethics code that all partners must agree to each year and stop advising companies on potentially dangerous narcotics. 

“The opioid epidemic has led to extensive harm to Alaskans and our communities over the last 20 years,” said Alaska Attorney General Taylor in a prepared statement. “Alaska has faced significant challenges and costs associated with this epidemic in the form of health care, child welfare, criminal justice, and many other programs needed to lessen the epidemic.  On the social level, opioid addiction, abuse, and overdose deaths have torn families apart, damaged relationships, and eroded the social fabric of communities.” 

McKinsey contributed to the opioid crisis by promoting marketing schemes and consulting services to opioid manufacturers, including OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, for over a decade. The complaint, filed with the settlement, details how McKinsey advised Purdue on how to maximize profits from opioid products, including targeting high-volume opioid prescribers, using specific messaging to get physicians to prescribe more OxyContin to more patients and circumventing pharmacy restrictions to deliver high-dose prescriptions.

When states began to sue Purdue’s directors for their implementation of McKinsey’s marketing schemes, McKinsey partners began emailing about deleting documents and emails related to their work for Purdue.

Click here to support the Alaska Watchman.