July 25, 2007

Hillbilly Heroin Makers Not Feeling Any Pain

They lied and unleashed a scourge but they won't be serving any time:

A federal judge on Friday fined Purdue Pharma L.P., the maker of OxyContin, and three of its executives $634.5 million for misleading the public about its risk of addiction.

Purdue Pharma, its top lawyer and former president and former chief medical officer pleaded guilty in May for claiming that OxyContin was less addictive and less subject to abuse than other pain medications.

Michael Friedman, who retired in June as Purdue's president, general counsel Howard Udell and former chief medical officer Paul Goldenheim each pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of misbranding the drug. Of the total fine, $34.5 million was levied on those three.

U.S. District Judge James Jones placed the company on probation for five years and each of the executives on probation for three years. He also ordered the three to perform 400 hours of community service related to prevention of prescription drug abuse.

400 hours of community service for knowingly creating thousands of addicts. What a joke. At least the toothless, scab-covered dipshit cooking up meth in a homemade lab isn't fooling the public about what he's peddling. Maybe if he did his work wearing a tie he'd get community service too.

Posted by floridacracker at July 25, 2007 10:18 PM

   


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Comments

If you were their probation officer Donnah, I'd guess there community service hours wouldn't be
picking up trash on the side of the road ??

I'm thinking weekend night shift cleanup at the psyche ward...

Posted by: csason at July 26, 2007 12:59 PM

This is BS. I take Oxy every day, and I don't have ANY problems with addiction.

Posted by: Bill from INDC at July 26, 2007 02:28 PM

Oh, and WHERE IS THE HARRY POTTER BLOGGING?!!

Posted by: Bill from INDC at July 26, 2007 02:31 PM

Oxycontin made the terminal months of a friend of mine bearable. She was able to see and enjoy her friends and family and live without pain.

This is a bum rap.

Posted by: miriam at July 26, 2007 09:53 PM

That's not a logical statement. Addiction was the least of your friend's problems, and if her disease was cancer she'd have needed something strong for pain management. This is about a company deliberately misleading physicians about the addictive potential of a drug. Those physicians prescribed it for a wide variety of ailments and addicts were created.
There's a reason they don't prescribe morphine for tennis elbow...

Posted by: Donnah at July 26, 2007 10:55 PM

Three doctors in our area have been arrested for indiscriminately prescribing this opiate.
A beloved of mine was a patient with a torn rotator cuff, now his life is a pile of shit.
Nuclear.... and the collaterial fallout was just as devastating.

Posted by: nancy at July 27, 2007 09:27 AM

I've long wondered why we don't have a Corporate Death Penalty. Kill the company. Maybe it can discourage when so much money encourages.

We do have to point out that painkillers by definition will appeal to addicts. That’s why they should be prescribed honestly.

Posted by: CJ at July 27, 2007 02:05 PM

Good point

I think I read that two Chinese men that were involved with using/hiding harmful ingredients in those exported products (forget what they are now)
were executed.
I hope they weren't just scape goats.

These exec guys will go to rehab and get some counseling.
Their feelings are probably more hurt over the fines than the personal damage.

Posted by: nancy at July 27, 2007 02:32 PM