SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Pain Pill Giant Purdue to Stop Promotion of Opioids to Doctors
Pain-pill giant Purdue Pharma LP will stop promoting its opioid drugs to doctors, a retreat after years of criticism that the company's aggressive sales efforts helped lay the foundation of the U.S. addiction crisis.
The company told employees this week that it would cut its sales force by more than half, to 200 workers. It plans to send a letter Monday to doctors saying that its salespeople will no longer come to their clinics to talk about the company's pain products.
"We have restructured and significantly reduced our commercial operation and will no longer be promoting opioids to prescribers," the company said in a statement. Instead, any questions doctors have will be directed to the Stamford, Connecticut-based company's medical affairs department.
OxyContin, approved in 1995, is the closely held company's biggest-selling drug, though sales of the pain pill have declined in recent years amid competition from generics. It generated $1.8 billion in 2017, down from $2.8 billion five years earlier, according to data compiled by Symphony Health Solutions. It also sells the painkiller Hysingla.
Also at Reuters, USA Today, The Verge, and CNN.
Previously: City of Everett, Washington Sues OxyContin Maker Purdue Pharma
OxyContin's 12-Hour Problem
South Carolina Sues OxyContin Maker Purdue
Related: Opioid Crisis Partly Blamed on a 1980 Letter to the New England Journal of Medicine
President Trump Declares the Opioid Crisis a National Emergency
Study Finds Stark Increase in Opioid-Related Admissions, Deaths in Nation's ICUs
CVS Limits Opioid Prescriptions
Congress Reacts to Reports that a 2016 Law Hindered DEA's Ability to go after Opioid Distributors
Opioid Crisis Official; Insys Therapeutics Billionaire Founder Charged; Walgreens Stocks Narcan
(Score: 2) by stretch611 on Monday February 12 2018, @10:52PM (1 child)
They are stopping marketing to doctors... How is this going to help now?!?
Already a large portion of the population is addicted to opioids. Stopping marketing will not stop their desire/need for more.
Opioids are already the first thought of many doctors when it comes to painkillers, whether the patients need it or not. It will be years if not decades before opioids are not the first thought of Doctors regardless of marketing... Unless something better that isn't addictive comes along. And with every drug company making a boatload of cash from opioids, who will be willing to develop a replacement?
I was in the hospital last year. I have a very high pain tolerance, and despite surgery I was fine. One day about a week after surgery I asked a nurse for an ibuprofen (advil/motrin) and I was told I could not have it for fear of stomach bleeding. They said that tylenol (acetaminophen) was an acceptable alternative, but they could not give that to me because they Dr did not approve it for me and it would be a day before they could put it on my approved list. However, for "mild" pain, the Dr already pre-approved me for Norflex, and I was also allowed Oxycodone, and all the way up to straight Morphine if I wanted it... WTF!!! I was pre-approved for major opioids, but was not able to get a simple ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
Then, when I was finally discharged, I had to stop by the hospital pharmacy to get drugs related to my condition. In addition, they had not one, but two opioid prescriptions waiting for me for.. despite having norflex only one time during my stay of a few weeks, and really only wanting/requesting a simple ibuprofen. (OFC, I refused them.)
So I ask again, how the hell is the lack of marketing going to change anything? They already have people addicted to their shit... they pay off congress to keep the laws in their favor and keep marijuana illegal, (and yes if you look at the major contributors to politicians against legalization, big pharma is the number one contributor) and they already have the Dr's trained to respond with how big of an opioid do you want for your sprained pinky... Big pharma already has us exactly where they want us. Lack of marketing doesn't matter anymore.
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
(Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday February 13 2018, @12:17AM