"Hillbilly Heroin???"

[Susie Q Roo]

Wow, I just read that the state of KY is suing the manufacturers of Oxycontin for "reimbursement for costs incurred in drug abuse programs, law enforcement and prescription payments through Medicaid and the Kentucky Pharmaceutical Assistance program."

I never knew it was that big a problem. Though, when I was back visiting my southern OH (near KY) hometown last month, one of the local pharmacists had just had his license suspended for distributing huge quantities above the numbers prescribed for people. It's sad, since it's such a depressed area to begin with. These people don't need yet another thing bringing them down. Guess there must be a lot of people getting rich off of this down there.

HERE'S a link to an article about it.

[StewartG]

Originally Posted by Susie Q Roo

Wow, I just read that the state of KY is suing the manufacturers of Oxycontin for "reimbursement for costs incurred in drug abuse programs, law enforcement and prescription payments through Medicaid and the Kentucky Pharmaceutical Assistance program."

I never knew it was that big a problem. Though, when I was back visiting my southern OH (near KY) hometown last month, one of the local pharmacists had just had his license suspended for distributing huge quantities above the numbers prescribed for people. It's sad, since it's such a depressed area to begin with. These people don't need yet another thing bringing them down. Guess there must be a lot of people getting rich off of this down there.

HERE'S a link to an article about it.

I'm wondering if the State of Florida went directly after Rush Limbaugh to recover the costs of investigation, prosecution, etc. for his case. Obviously you can't expect to be able to recover these expenses from everyday working people who are busted, but presumably Rush would have pretty deep pockets.

I'm a little confused as to how the state of KY will make its case against the manufacturer. I mean, if it is a legitimate drug with legitimate prescriptive benefits, how can they sue the manufacturer for costs associated with going after people who choose to abuse the drug?

Hrmpf... Lawyers...!

[MWC]

Originally Posted by StewartG

I'm wondering if the State of Florida went directly after Rush Limbaugh to recover the costs of investigation, prosecution, etc. for his case. Obviously you can't expect to be able to recover these expenses from everyday working people who are busted, but presumably Rush would have pretty deep pockets.

I'm a little confused as to how the state of KY will make its case against the manufacturer. I mean, if it is a legitimate drug with legitimate prescriptive benefits, how can they sue the manufacturer for costs associated with going after people who choose to abuse the drug?
Hrmpf... Lawyers...!

As one with a bit of inside information on the lawsuits against the manufacturers of Oxycontin ... they have been found guilty of unscrupulously overzealous sales practicess in previous lawsuits.

But these other lawsuits were at least 5 years ago, and PurduePharma is pretty well tapped out. Kentucky is JUST getting around to suing them? There will be nothing more left to claim.

What is truly cynical is that state governments have sued/are suing PurduePharma because of the unforeseen dangers of oxycontin. Yet, the feds have permitted a generic version of the same to be manufactured and distributed?

[StewartG]

Originally Posted by MWC

As one with a bit of inside information on the lawsuits against the manufacturers of Oxycontin ... they have been found guilty of unscrupulously overzealous sales practicess in previous lawsuits.

But these other lawsuits were at least 5 years ago, and PurduePharma is pretty well tapped out. Kentucky is JUST getting around to suing them? There will be nothing more left to claim.

What is truly cynical is that state governments have sued/are suing PurduePharma because of the unforeseen dangers of oxycontin. Yet, the feds have permitted a generic version of the same to be manufactured and distributed?

Yet another example of a crippled and essentially worthless FDA?

[Tommygurl]

I would consider Oxycotin & Vicodin more of a "suburban housewife" drug vs hillbilly. I was given Oxycotin after dental surgery & I can see how people get addicted. In fact I asked for more but my dentist refused. Which is a good thing.

[NiceTom]

It's a shame that they're going after the drug companies. From what I hear, oxycotin works really well for alot of people in pain. If you punish the manufacturer enough, why should they even bother producing it.

[vieve]

Originally Posted by Tommygurl

I would consider Oxycotin & Vicodin more of a "suburban housewife" drug vs hillbilly. I was given Oxycotin after dental surgery & I can see how people get addicted. In fact I asked for more but my dentist refused. Which is a good thing.

I can see how addictive it is too...I had some left over from some procedure and took it one day when arthritis in my lower vertebrae was killing me, and viola! painfree, to the point that riding in the car with my Rush Limbaugh listening dad didn't even kill the good feeling.
I was shocked Oxy is such a problem in Kentucky- but probably shouldn't have been: my neighbor just went to rehab for his addiction.
And you're right Susie, last thing people in depressed areas need is easy access to addictive drugs- this sounds comparable to the crysta meth problem in the mid west.

[MWC]

Originally Posted by StewartG

Yet another example of a crippled and essentially worthless FDA?

Somebody's sure not thinking. Because the lawsuits are being allowed to continue, even though the original maker now isn't the only maker ...

[StewartG]

Originally Posted by NiceTom

It's a shame that they're going after the drug companies. From what I hear, oxycotin works really well for alot of people in pain. If you punish the manufacturer enough, why should they even bother producing it.

See MWC's post above.

Just because they have a good product, they still may be acting inappropriately with it and therefore subject to liability. For an extreme example, what if the manufacturer was HEAVILY pushing and marketing it as a "headache cure" when it was CLEARLY overkill for that and when the risk of dependence far outweighed the benefits of the drug, given the plethora of non-addictive alternatives for headache treatment...

[MWC]

Originally Posted by Tommygurl

I would consider Oxycotin & Vicodin more of a "suburban housewife" drug vs hillbilly. I was given Oxycotin after dental surgery & I can see how people get addicted. In fact I asked for more but my dentist refused. Which is a good thing.

Actually, the problem first came to attention in impovershed areas of the Appalachians ... I still can't figure out exactly why. Typically the addicts are not keeping their Oxycontin in its pill form -- which would keep its time-release qualities intact -- instead they are grinding it into powder, so it's like crack.

My M-I-L had crippling RA, and Oxycontin was the only thing that took the edge off her pain in her later years. But my lord -- her dosage was HUGE, because she developed a tolerance for it.

[Babaloo]

Originally Posted by NiceTom

It's a shame that they're going after the drug companies. From what I hear, oxycotin works really well for alot of people in pain. If you punish the manufacturer enough, why should they even bother producing it.

a shame???

(May 2007)
" Purdue Pharma and three of the company's current and former executives on Thursday pleaded guilty to misleading the public about the safety of its painkiller OxyContin and agreed to pay $634.5 million in fines.

The office of the Western District of Virginia, which filed the case against Purdue for practices that occurred between 1996 and mid-2001, said the company made claims that OxyContin was less addictive than other painkillers and less subject to abuse, "despite warnings to the contrary from doctors, the media and members of its own sales force," the Times reports (Zimmerman, Los Angeles Times, 5/11). The company also claimed that OxyContin could be discontinued without feeling symptoms of withdrawal (Appleby/Davis, USA Today, 5/11). "Purdue trained its sales representatives to make false representations to health care providers about the difficulty of exacting oxycodone, the active ingredient, from the OxyContin tablet," according to FDA (Lopes, Washington Times, 5/11)."

The rest of the story:
Purdue Pharma, Executives Plead Guilty To Misbranding OxyContin, Fined $634.5M

[sctx]

pills suck

[TAPPY]

Originally Posted by NiceTom

It's a shame that they're going after the drug companies. From what I hear, oxycotin works really well for alot of people in pain. If you punish the manufacturer enough, why should they even bother producing it.

Wasnt it the drug of choice for cancer related pain ???

I thought it was only given to people with who had a critical illness or serious cronic pain issues.........but next thing you know you hear about teens over dosing on it.

[Tommygurl]

This is why everyone should just smoke weed.

[sctx]

Originally Posted by Tommygurl

This is why everyone should just smoke weed.

don't say things like that right now