The British Columbia government has filed a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies in an attempt to recoup the costs associated with opioid addiction.
Prescription pills containing oxycodone and acetaminophen are shown in Toronto, Dec. 23, 2017. People who live with chronic pain need options beyond prescription opioids, and it’s up to the British Columbia government to provide more services such as physiotherapy, says the head of a group that supports patients and their families. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy
The lawsuit filed in the B.C. Supreme Court was announced by Attorney General David Eby and Addictions Minister Judy Darcy.
In June, the federal government said nearly 4,000 Canadians died from apparent opioid overdoses last year.
British Columbia remained the province hardest hit by the opioid crisis, with 1,399 deaths, up from 974 in 2016.
The province declared a public health emergency in 2016.
None of the allegations made by the province in its lawsuit has been proven in court.
