Consulting company McKinsey & Co. agreed on Friday to pay $650 million to settle federal charges related to its role in the opioid crisis in the United States. The firm was accused of a conspiracy to defraud the government together with Purdue Pharma L.P. in misrepresenting painkillers, including OxyContin.
"This included a strategy to identify which current OxyContin prescribers would likely generate the greatest number of additional prescriptions if called on by Purdue Pharma's sales force," according to a court document. As part of the settlement, McKinsey will no longer be involved in the marketing or sale of controlled substances.