(NEWSnet/AP) — U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is allowing Morris & Dickson Co. to stay in business.
It reverses a previous order the stripped the company of licenses for its failure to monitor the shipment of addictive painkillers blamed for fueling the opioid crisis.
As part of the settlement announced Wednesday, the company agreed to admit wrongdoing, comply with enhanced reporting requirements and surrender one of its two certificates of registration with DEA.
The company, which generates about $4 billion per year in revenue, also agreed to forfeit $19 million.
In May 2023, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram revoked both of Morris & Dickson’s licenses after an investigation by The Associated Press revealed the nation’s fourth-largest drug distributor continued to ship drugs for nearly four years after a federal judge recommended the harshest penalty for its “cavalier disregard” of rules aimed at preventing opioid abuse.
“Of all the cases I handled as an administrative law judge for the DEA, Morris & Dickson’s violations were the most blatant and egregious,” Judge Charles Dorman told AP. “In addition, I saw no real acceptance of responsibility for their violations.”
DEA had acknowledged the time required to issue its final decision was “longer than typical for the agency,” but blamed Morris & Dickson in part for delaying the process by seeking postponements due to the pandemic and its pursuit of a settlement.
Morris & Dickson said Wednesday it looks forward to future growth now that the case had been resolved.
It said the settlement “recognizes our extensive and voluntary efforts to improve and enhance our compliance system over the past five years,” the company said. “In fact, following our efforts, our state-of-the-art compliance program has been repeatedly acknowledged as impressive and above reproach by outside parties.”
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