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DEA tracked every opioid pill sold in the US. The data is out
Between 2006 and 2012, opioid drug makers and distributors flooded the country with 76 billion pills of oxycodone and hydrocodone—highly addictive opioid pain medications that sparked the epidemic of abuse and overdoses that killed nearly 100,000 people in that time period.
As the epidemic surged over the seven-year period, so did the supply. The companies increased distribution from 8.4 billion in 2006 to 12.6 billion in 2012, a jump of roughly 50%. In all, the deluge of pills was enough to supply every adult and child in the country with around 36 opioid pills per year. Just a 10-day supply can hook 1 in 5 people into being long-term users, researchers have determined.
The stunning supply figures were first reported by the Washington Post and come from part of a database compiled by the Drug Enforcement Administration that tracked the fate of every opioid pill sold in America, from manufacturers to individual pharmacies. A federal court in Ohio released the data this week as part of a massive consolidated court case against nearly two-dozen opioid makers and distributors, brought by nearly 2,000 cities, towns, and counties. The local governments allege that the opioid companies conspired to saturate the country with the potent painkillers to soak up billions in profits. The companies deny the allegations, arguing generally that they were serving the needs of patients.
According to an analysis of the data by the Post, just three companies made 88% of the opioid pills: SpecGx, Actavis Pharma, and Par Pharmaceutical, a subsidiary of Endo Pharmaceuticals. Purdue Pharma ranked fourth, making 3% of the pills. Just six companies distributed 75% of the pills: McKesson Corp., Walgreens, Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen, CVS, and Walmart.
(Score: 3, Funny) by c0lo on Thursday July 18 2019, @03:55AM (4 children)
Why, you ask? I don't know, man, and I don't care. See? I just took that pill...
(large grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Hartree on Thursday July 18 2019, @04:15AM
Ah. If NHS just handed out happy pills like those, Britain wouldn't have any problems. What a country! ;)
(Score: 2) by fido_dogstoyevsky on Thursday July 18 2019, @04:30AM (2 children)
... the blue one.
It's NOT a conspiracy... it's a plot.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday July 18 2019, @04:37AM
Naaah, not only that one... (Eww [xkcd.com]).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Friday July 19 2019, @01:18AM
So, now he's happy, is his girlfiend happy as well? Or is his girlfriend now depressed?
Further study is required.
Don't forget to take a before and after quiz. [psychcentral.com]
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex