WASHINGTON — A Democratic senator is seeking marketing information, sales records, and studies from manufacturers of the top-selling opioid products in the United States to determine whether drug makers have contributed to an overuse of the pain killers.
Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri said that sales of prescription opioids have quadrupled since 1999, taking a financial toll on the government and a deadly toll on thousands of consumers.
McCaskill said previous government and media reports show an industry not focused on preventing abuse but on fostering addiction. She is investigating whether such practices continue today.
