3.75 ( )

A really great book about the history of the opioid crisis. I’ve read a lot about this topic so some of the information in this book was not new to me but it was presented really well and there was also stuff that was new to me that was very interesting. I thought this book was very well written and very accessible to everyone. I would definitely recommend it. ( )

Groundbreaking work that brought much needed attention to how and why we are experiencing an epidemic of opioid overdose deaths. ( )

Purdue Pharma created OxyContin as a time-released medication containing oxycodone derived from opium poppies as its main ingredient. It was initially designed and marketed as a treatment for cancer patients and others with severe chronic pain. However, Purdue believed its time release formula made it less likely to be abused and set out to aggressively market it not just as originally intended, but for “moderate to severe pain.” Purdue planted positive articles on the drug in publications in which it had an interest, cultivated doctors interested in the then-new field of pain management, held glamour retreat seminars to “educate” doctors about the drug, and employed a huge sales force to convince doctors throughout the country of its safety and usefulness in the treatment of pain. It made billions for this small pharmaceutical company and huge bonuses for its sales reps.

Of course drug addicts quickly found a way around the time release formula and were soon snorting or shooting the drug, which was horribly addictive. And communities, especially poor ones, were soon dealing with the social and economic destruction, and deaths, caused by that addiction. Community leaders tried to work with Purdue to limit its use and acknowledge the addictive nature of the drug. This book details the long road leading to a more responsible management not just of OxyContin but future narcotics as well.

I read this book primarily because I’ve been witnessing this addiction first hand. OxyContin was introduced in 1996 and despite some headway made to monitor the drug finally instituted in the mid-2000s, it is still wrecking havoc on society and ruining people’s lives. Government agencies are still not doing an adequate job in controlling prescribed medications. ( )