OxyContin maker knows docs who overprescribe
By Scott Glover and Lisa Girion, Los Angeles Times
Over the last decade, the maker of the potent painkiller OxyContin has compiled a database of hundreds of doctors suspected of recklessly prescribing its pills to addicts and drug dealers, but has done little to alert law enforcement or medical authorities.
Despite its suspicions, Purdue Pharma continued to profit from prescriptions written by these physicians, many of whom were prolific prescribers of OxyContin. The company has sold more than $27 billion worth of the drug since its introduction in 1996.
Purdue has promoted the idea that the country’s epidemic of prescription drug deaths was fueled largely by pharmacy robberies, doctor-shopping patients and teens raiding home medicine cabinets. The database suggests that Purdue has long known that physicians also play a significant role in the crisis.
Purdue’s database, which contains the names of more than 1,800 doctors, could provide leads for investigators at a time when they are increasingly looking at how reckless prescribing of painkillers contributes to addiction and death.
Purdue has said little about the list since it began identifying doctors in 2002.
Yeah, let’s start putting oncologists in prison. . . please. All the folks who sing the praises of marijuana are just as high as anybody on oxycontin. They just don’t experience the PHYSICAL addiction, and therefore hold themselves up as righteous in comparison.
Hypocrisy, again.
Addictions are a problem. But making physicians afraid to prescribe necessary pain medications to people who need them because of possible imprisonment is not the answer.
Every 40 minutes someone dies of a prescription drug overdose. These illicit substances are way overprescribed in America yet the racist “War on Drugs” continues on.
Isn’t Rush Limbaugh the poster child of shopping multiple docs for painkillers?
All i know is that as a pain killer for many types of pain Oxy sucks! there used to be much better narcotics out there for different types of pain, but I guess in an effort to cut down on DRUGS? its all Oxy all the time? And people have leaned many ways to take and abuse it.
Hillbilly Herion thats what they called it
now the children are strung out on street Herion
you would be suprised to know the truth