McKinsey & Company and the Opioid Crisis: A Case Study in Corporate Ethics
Nadia Shah
Co-Presenters: Melanie Vasquez, Erin Wang, Jada Tyson-Butler, Yue Zeng, Bingxin Wang
College: College of Business and Public Management
Major: Marketing
Faculty Research Mentor: Dawn Adams-Harmon
Abstract:
McKinsey and the Opioid Crisis: A Case Study in Corporate EthicsThe opioid crisis led to severe public health strain, leading to mass addiction and overdose deaths. McKinsey & Company played a key role in this crisis by advising Purdue Pharma on strategies on how to increase opioid sales, disregarding clear evidence of addiction and harm. Their strategies not only fueled the crisis but also raised serious concerns about corporate influence in public health decisions. Unlike pharmaceutical companies that directly manufacture opioids, McKinsey’s role as a consulting firm raises concerns about how business advisors can indirectly shape public health outcomes. This case study investigates and examines how McKinsey’s strategies contributed to the devastating opioid epidemic and explores the legal and ethical implications of its involvement.Utilizing secondary research, this study examines McKinsey’s role and accountability in the opioid crisis. This study goes in depth of analyzing legal and governmental reports with articles and studies to show the company’s role in this. By examining its business ethics, documents, and agreements the research evaluates McKinsey’s consulting. Ethical frameworks in business help explain McKinsey’s role and show how corporate influence worsened the crisis that led to legal and financial consequences for the company.Results indicated that McKinsey contributed to the increase in opioid sales with evidence of overdose deaths and mass addiction. The legal actions that occurred with the firm resulted in substantial settlements. In 2025, McKinsey settled for $650 million with the U.S. government, insurers, and tribal communities over its role in fueling the crisis.This case emphasizes the legal system’s role in public health and ethical responsibilities of consulting firms as a whole. This raises questions on corporate accountability in public health crises as this epidemic. The legal settlements provide some form of justice but it does not compensate for the long-term harm and pain that was caused by the opioid crisis. These findings suggest an urgent need for stricter ethical standards within corporate consulting as well as stronger surveillance to prevent crises, such as this, in the future.Keywords: Opioid Crisis, McKinsey & Company, Public Health, Business Ethics, Corporate Accountability