WASHINGTON — Executives of five drug distributors will testify before a congressional subcommittee next month in connection with an investigation into the opioid epidemic in West Virginia.
The House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations has scheduled a hearing for May 8 with McKesson Corp. President and CEO John Hammergren, Cardinal Health Inc. Executive Chairman George Barrett, AmerisourceBergen Corp. Chairman Steven Collis, Miami-Luken Inc. Chairman Joseph Mastandrea and Christopher Smith, the former president and CEO of H.D. Smith Wholesale Drug Company.
The hearing will be held on the one year anniversary of when the subcommittee first requested information from AmerisourceBergen Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and McKesson Corp. about information related to the distribution of opioids in West Virginia.
“Today, we have a more complete picture of what happened in places like West Virginia, and we will hold all parties accountable for their actions. I, along with my colleagues, urge our witnesses to help us complete this puzzle so we can ensure this will never happen again,” said Subcommittee Chairman Gregg Harper, R-Miss.
Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, in which the subcommittee is a subset.
“The opioid epidemic is ravaging rural America, and West Virginia is the epicenter,” he said in a statement. “This is a multifaceted problem, but addressing the over-shipment of pain pills into our communities is one part we must tackle now. We must hold these drug distributors accountable for their actions. Enough is enough.”