AmerisourceBergen Announces Operating Commitments to Address Opioid Diversion and Abuse

VALLEY FORGE, PA – AmerisourceBergen, a global healthcare solutions leader, announced today a commitment to a set of ongoing operating principles in order to further support the Company’s efforts to address opioid diversion and abuse.

Since 2007, AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation has reported to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and stopped shipment of tens of thousands of suspicious orders, and has provided daily reports of all opioid-based medication orders to the DEA including the quantity, type and receiving pharmacy of each order that has been shipped.  Beyond this ongoing transparency with enforcement agencies, the Company is also publicly announcing a set of ongoing operational commitments in line with its efforts to safeguard the supply chain, including:

• Ongoing utilization of, and enhancements to, a sophisticated set of algorithms and data analytics tools that analyze the orders of individual customers against a relevant comparison peer group to identify and stop shipment on orders that are deemed to be suspicious. 
• Continued multimillion dollar investment in a best-in-class Diversion Control Team, comprised of internal and external experts including former law enforcement professionals, diversion investigators, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians that maintains an ongoing order monitoring program, conducts customer site visits, participates in surveillance activities, reviews customer policies and identifies and reports suspicious orders.
• Pledging continued commitment to the Company’s existing practices of taking no action to market or create demand for opioid-based medicines.
  • AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation has not, and will never, provide incentive-based compensation or bonuses targeting the sale of opioid products. 

The Company is also investing in a new initiative to identify and activate partnerships with customers across our business to offer innovative solutions to address opioid abuse.  For example, AmerisourceBergen in October announced a collaboration with Walgreens, as well as several other healthcare industry leaders, to expand the availability of safe medication disposal sites to an additional 900 Walgreens stores near military bases and other areas where the opioid epidemic has heavily impacted communities.   

“The commitments and initiatives announced today reflect our belief that all companies in healthcare should be constantly looking at ways to innovate, collaborate and enhance existing practices in order to best combat the opioid issue,” said Steven H. Collis, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of AmerisourceBergen. “Alongside our recent legislative recommendations aimed at supporting regulator and industry data transparency, these reflect our dedication to doing our part to combat diversion and misuse of opioid products.”



About AmerisourceBergen
AmerisourceBergen provides pharmaceutical products, value-driving services and business solutions that improve access to care. Tens of thousands of healthcare providers, veterinary practices and livestock producers trust us as their partner in the pharmaceutical supply chain. Global manufacturers depend on us for services that drive commercial success for their products. Through our daily work—and powered by our 20,000 associates—we are united in our responsibility to create healthier futures. AmerisourceBergen is ranked #11 on the Fortune 500, with more than $150 billion in annual revenue. The company is headquartered in Valley Forge, Pa. and has a presence in 50+ countries. Learn more at amerisourcebergen.com.