[Pharmwaste] Root of Opioid Addiction Crisis: More Evidence

[Ed Gottlieb]

Hi All,



Two more pieces of evidence that the profit motive fueled the overprescribing of opioids:



"The Sackler family<https://www.statnews.com/2019/03/28/new-york-sackler-family-lawsuit-purdue-pharma/>2 built and controls the privately held Purdue Pharma, the maker of opioid painkillers including OxyContin. A STAT review of court documents, two decades of academic papers, tax forms, and funding disclosures suggests that the family and company money that went to Tufts helped to advance their interests, generating goodwill for members of the family who were praised for their philanthropy and amplifying arguments about opioids that dovetailed with their business aims.



Tufts at times opened its doors to Purdue, allowing a high-ranking executive, Dr. David Haddox — who in 2003 said<https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/10/30/the-family-that-built-an-empire-of-pain>3 OxyContin was not addictive — to lecture in the pain program, granting him the title of adjunct associate professor of public health and community medicine at a premier medical school."

https://www.statnews.com/2019/04/09/sackler-purdue-pharma-gifts-to-tufts-advanced-company-interests/?utm_source=STAT+Newsletters&utm_campaign=7a647462c7-Daily_Recap&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8cab1d7961-7a647462c7-149620549

and

"Federal prosecutors late Tuesday charged British drug maker Indivior with felony fraud and conspiracy for its marketing of opioid products including Suboxone. The company allegedly created a "nationwide scheme" in the U.S. designed to convince doctors and government insurance providers their patented opioid medications are safer and less prone to abuse than cheaper generic alternatives."

https://www.npr.org/2019/04/10/711669778/opioid-maker-charged-with-fraud-in-marketing-drug-as-less-prone-to-abuse

&

"Federal prosecutors have charged Indivior with engaging in a multibillion-dollar fraudulent scheme to increase prescriptions of Suboxone Film, a medicine used to treat addiction to opioid and narcotics.

In an indictment filed on Wednesday, the Justice Department alleged the drug maker deceived doctors and payers into believing the medicine was safer and less prone to diversion and abuse than other such treatments. The indictment also claimed the company used a telephone and Internet program to connect patients struggling with addiction to doctors who were inappropriately prescribing opioids and at high rates."  [Full story requires a subscription to STAT+]

https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2019/04/10/indivior-suboxone-fraud-indictment-opioids/





Ed Gottlieb
Chair, Tompkins County Coalition for Safe Medication Disposal
Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator
Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility
525 3rd Street
Ithaca, NY  14850
(607) 273-8381<tel:(607)%20273-8381>

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