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A 93-year-old pain management specialist was convicted of writing illegal prescriptions for a number of different painkillers, including oxycodone, for people who were living with addiction or in the business of selling pills on the black market.
At the end of last month, almost six years after his arrest, a federal court found the doctor guilty of 11 charges related to drug sales and money laundering. His medical assistant was convicted of eight counts connecting him to the doctor’s opioid conspiracy. A pharmacist who was included in the 2011 indictment will face a new trial next month after a mistrial was declared in his original trial when a jury was unable to return a verdict on the charges of one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone.
The doctor’s lawyer unsuccessfully argued that the 31 cash deposits he made over a 46-week period amounting to $263,000 from the sales of a range of prescription drugs was a result of his age and outdated medical training.
What do you think? Does age have anything to do with the choices the doctor made?
Outdated Medical Training
It is true that part of the campaign to end the opioid addiction and overdose epidemic that has swept the country is focused directly on the physicians who prescribe these addictive pills. Family practitioners and others who do not specialize in pain management may not have completely understood the devastating possibilities associated with use of these drugs, and as a result, they may have written prescriptions that were inappropriate or otherwise undermanaged their patients’ use of these pills.
Many states require that doctors who prescribe painkillers and other addictive drugs take part in training to help them better understand the latest information about these medications and how best to monitor a patient’s use of these drugs, especially in the case of treatment for chronic pain – but these are doctors who have graduated in the past couple decades who cannot claim to have been involved in World War II, as can the 93-year-old doctor convicted of drug conspiracy.
So, is it possible that the doctor in question managed to escape this information and not realize what he was doing? Not likely. Cash exchange for medication was clearly a new choice for the doctor in the year prior to his arrest given the sudden onset and frequency of his bank deposits, so there must have been some understanding that what he was doing wasn’t on the up and up. It was not something that he had engaged in over the course of his career, so the choice had little to do with his education or lack thereof.
Medical Monitoring
Doctors who illegally prescribe medications and sell drugs to patients on the side are directly contributing to an epidemic that is deadly. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the number of deaths in the United States caused by the use of opioid drugs (e.g., painkillers and heroin) quadrupled between 1999 and 2015. Medical monitoring through statewide databases that require doctors and pharmacists to coordinate information on prescriptions filled by patients has helped to identify those doctors and pharmacists who may not be prescribing pills and filling prescriptions with medical necessity in mind. It has also served to identify patients who may be struggling with addiction and in need of treatment as well as those who may be siphoning pills onto the black market.
The Rise of the Painkiller Conspiracy
In recent years, it has come to light that pharmaceutical companies played a key role in promoting opioid painkillers. They used a variety of tactics to persuade doctors to prescribe these drugs, including:
- Offering financial incentives to doctors who prescribed their drugs
- Funding research that downplayed the risks of addiction and overdose
- Marketing their drugs directly to consumers through TV ads and other media
All of these tactics were designed to increase sales of opioid painkillers, even though the companies knew that these drugs were highly addictive and potentially deadly.
The Devastating Impact of Opioid Addiction
The consequences of the painkiller conspiracy have been devastating. Overdose deaths from opioid painkillers have skyrocketed in recent years, and addiction has ruined countless lives. Families have been torn apart, and communities have been ravaged by the opioid epidemic.
The Role of Doctors and Healthcare Providers in the Opioid Epidemic
While pharmaceutical companies played a significant role in promoting opioid painkillers, they were not acting alone. Doctors and healthcare providers also played a crucial role in the opioid epidemic.
Many doctors were persuaded by the marketing tactics used by pharmaceutical companies, leading them to prescribe opioids to patients who did not necessarily need them. Others may have been unaware of the risks associated with these drugs or did not have access to alternative pain management strategies.
In some cases, doctors may have even knowingly overprescribed opioids for financial gain or other reasons. This reckless behavior has contributed to the widespread addiction and overdose crisis we face today.
However, it's important to note that not all doctors are complicit in the opioid epidemic. Many healthcare providers are working tirelessly to combat addiction and help those struggling with substance abuse disorders. They are advocating for alternative pain management strategies, such as physical therapy and non-opioid medications.
Ultimately, it will take a collective effort from all stakeholders - including pharmaceutical companies, doctors, policymakers, and communities - to address the opioid epidemic and prevent future tragedies.
Government Policies to Address the Opioid Crisis
While pharmaceutical companies and doctors have played a significant role in the opioid epidemic, government policies also have an important part to play in addressing this public health crisis.
One key policy that has been implemented in recent years is prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). These programs allow doctors and pharmacists to track patients' prescription history and identify those who may be at risk for addiction or overdose. PDMPs can also help prevent "doctor shopping," where patients visit multiple doctors to obtain multiple prescriptions for opioids.
In addition, some states have implemented laws and regulations aimed at reducing opioid prescribing. For example, some states have limits on the amount of opioids that can be prescribed for acute pain, while others require prescribers to check the PDMP before prescribing opioids.
Another important policy area is addiction treatment and recovery services. The federal government has taken steps to increase funding for these services, including medication-assisted treatment (MAT), which combines behavioral therapy with medications such as methadone or buprenorphine. MAT has been shown to be highly effective in treating opioid addiction and reducing the risk of overdose.
Finally, policymakers are also looking at ways to increase access to naloxone, a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose. Naloxone is available as an injectable or nasal spray and can be administered by first responders or even family members of those at risk of overdose.
While these policies are important steps forward, there is still much work to be done in addressing the opioid epidemic. It will take a collaborative effort from all stakeholders - including government agencies, healthcare providers, communities, and individuals - to make a meaningful impact on this crisis.
The Role of Law Enforcement in Combatting the Opioid Epidemic
Law enforcement agencies have a crucial role to play in addressing the opioid epidemic. One way they are doing this is through drug take-back programs. These programs allow individuals to safely dispose of unused prescription opioids, which can help prevent these drugs from being misused or abused.
In addition, law enforcement agencies are cracking down on illicit drug trafficking, including the distribution of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that has been responsible for many overdose deaths in recent years. This includes working with international partners to intercept shipments of illegal drugs and prosecuting those who are involved in drug trafficking.
However, law enforcement efforts alone cannot solve the opioid epidemic. It is important that these efforts are combined with prevention and treatment strategies, as well as public education about the risks of opioid addiction.
Overall, it will take a coordinated effort from all sectors - including law enforcement, healthcare providers, policymakers, and communities - to address the opioid epidemic and prevent future tragedies.
What Can Be Done?
The opioid epidemic is a complex problem that requires a multifaceted solution. Some possible solutions include:
- Stricter regulations on the marketing and prescribing of opioid painkillers
- Increased access to addiction treatment and recovery services
- Greater public awareness of the risks of opioid addiction
It is also important to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for their role in promoting opioid painkillers. Several lawsuits have been filed against these companies for their part in the painkiller conspiracy, and it is important that they are held responsible for the damage they have caused.
Painkillers to Heroin
Though it is always a positive thing to remove doctors who are taking advantage of those living in addiction or who are inadvertently creating new addictions through mismanagement of painkillers, in too many cases, the damage was done long ago. Patients who initially started or furthered an addiction through the use of prescription painkillers may have since turned to the use of heroin. With increased heroin potency on the black market over the last decade, many find that they can experience a high similar to that found in the use of prescription painkillers by smoking heroin. As a result, though heroin is illegal, many former painkiller patients find that it is cheaper and easier to buy than it ever was to get prescription medications. It also means regular ingestion of a drug that is just as deadly as painkillers with a host of new risks and concerns due to variable potency and chemical makeup.
Do you think that removing doctors who are illegally prescribing pills will help to stem the tide of addiction? What other measures do you think would help to address the opioid epidemic in the US?
Conclusion
The painkiller conspiracy is a dark chapter in the history of the opioid epidemic. It is a reminder that the pursuit of profits can come at a great cost to public health and safety. By working together to address this crisis, we can help prevent future tragedies and ensure that those who have been affected by the opioid epidemic receive the support and resources they need to recover.
