Since at least 2009, McKinsey & Co. has been a consultant to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the federal agency that oversees healthcare for millions of retired military service members. During part of that time, the consulting giant also advised some of the world’s biggest opioid producers to target the agency for sales of their products, according to newly released documents, WSJ Pro Bankruptcy reported. The firm advised opioid companies including Purdue Pharma LP and Endo International PLC on how to increase sales to the VA through both new and existing channels, the documents show. Meanwhile, McKinsey earned at least $117 million consulting for the VA, primarily on matters related to healthcare services for veterans, according to government records. Purdue and Endo both filed for bankruptcy in recent years to shield themselves from mass lawsuits alleging they fueled the opioid crisis, while McKinsey’s work for those companies and others subjected it to litigation of its own. The firm in 2021 reached a $642 million settlement of opioid-related lawsuits from all 50 state attorneys general, in which it didn’t admit wrongdoing. It agreed in the settlement to make public certain documents concerning its past work for opioid companies and began releasing records last year. The documents establish that McKinsey identified the VA as an important sales target for its corporate clients in the opioid industry, at a time that the firm also did consulting work for the agency.
