The Massachusetts attorney general’s office on Thursday made public a full copy of its lawsuit against Purdue Pharma, which it accuses of igniting the opioid epidemic through the deceptive marketing of its painkillers, including OxyContin.
The court filing details how the company considered expanding into addiction treatment, how much the Sackler family that controls Purdue and company executives were paid, and how the company was advised by McKinsey & Co. to improve its image in the face of concerns about addiction and overdoses.
About the Author Reprints
It’s a shakedown as far as I’m concerned. It’s an easy target because doing hard work actually takes effort. It’s not in the DNA of government workers.
I know I paint with a broad brush but I’m painting regardless.
As a recently retired Pharmacist I will state that all health care professionals were provided with full disclosure about the proper usage, side effects, and addictive liability associated with these drugs. Some chose to correctly use these products; other chose not to. Many prescribers used these medications improperly and to excess because patients badgered and bullied them to do so. Suggesting the manufacturers should be held culpable without including a number of health care professionals in the lawsuit is absurd, but not surprising. As always, shifting of blame always goes to the deep pockets right or wrong. It is the way our justice system is directed by those who are in line to benefit the most.
Talk about frivolous lawsuits !! … these idiots that overdosed did so because they abused their meds… they acted negligently & paid the ultimate price… this is like suing an automobile manufacturer cause some idiot drove recklessly, wrecked & killed their dumbass !!!… this ought to be laughed outta court !!
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2622774/
Their marketing strategies to doctors and their coupon program GREATLY increased prescribing and initial therapy to people who didn’t necessarily need something this strong.
Oxycontin and all other morphine derivatives are HIGHLY addictive and should be used sparingly and with caution. While I don’t believe it was ONLY Purdue that caused this problem they were still a large part of the problem along with doctors who over prescribed and the scientific community that downplayed the addictive potential.
This was supposed to be a pain medication for cancer patients in extreme pain and instead it was marketed and prescribed to people with chronic and usually idiosympathic pain (meaning no known cause or cure).
It was irresponsibleand greedy and there is no way around it.
Wondering if their could be any legal action taken against all these proud parents whose children had selfishly, recklessly and illegally used and abused opioids and who have, through their actions, brought so much damage and suffering to countless thousands of chronic pain patients who have been using opioids properly and legally with a prescription from their doctors to manage their pain. Stop placing the blame on pharmaceutical companies!
I feel the same as you do, John!
re: Josh
Nowhere in this news article is the Sackler family’s religion or ethnicity mentioned so your straw man argument fails to make any case of government-sponsored racism. The Sacklers will have their day in court. In the United States, history shows that the uber-wealthy avoid punishment for their crimes. Time will tell if the Mass A.G. and judiciary will impose an equitable sentence for the millions of opiate overdoses and deaths that their product has wrought.
This article and the entire lawsuit are blatantly anti-Semitic!! The Sacklers were very successful conducting legal business in a regulated industry. For over 20 years, they generously shared profits from their legal narcotics business with many fine hospitals and nonprofit institutions, including Harvard University. Alan Dershowitz needs to step forward to defend the Sacklers who are being persecuted merely for being successful Jews, just like Jeffrey Epstein. Dershowitz should attack Coakley for being a blatant anti-Semite. Dershowitz needs to use his ability to unify all Jews to get behind the Sacklers and unseat the elected officials who have abandoned the Sacklers. Coakley and the other politicians will never get a penny from the Sacklers who have already moved their capital and operations to Israel, where they are safe from prejudice and can conduct business throughout the world. All Jews should be outraged and not sit on their hands in the face of blatant anti-Semitism in any form, especially when it’s thinly veiled by government authority, the most dangerous kind!