Oregon Returns Supply of Lethal Injection Drugs, Turning Spotlight on Drug Companies

Oregon has returned its supply of lethal injection drugs to an undisclosed wholesaler, testing the sincerity of pharmaceutical executives who say they don't want their products to be used for execution, according to an Oregon Live report.

Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber cancelled the planned Dec. 6 execution of Gary Haugen, and the state has returned the lethal injection drugs. Oregon had purchased 20 50-milliliter vials of pentobarbital; 50 10-milliliter vials of pancuronium and 50 20-milliliter vials of potassium chloride. The supply cost the state approximately $18,000.

Two drug manufacturing companies, Hospira and Denmark-based Lundbeck, have been criticized for supplying the drugs in the first place, according to the report. Lundbeck took steps to block distribution of drugs to death penalty states in July 2011, by which time Oregon had already purchased its supply. Illinois-based Hospira stopped selling sodium thiopental in Jan. 2011.

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