OxyContin Makers Settle Opioid Lawsuit

The Brian Lehrer Show | Mar 27, 2019

Barry Meier, former New York Times reporter and the author of PAIN KILLER: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America's Opioid Epidemic (Random House; 2 edition, 2018), talks about the news that Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family — the makers of OxyContin — reached a settlement with the state of Oklahoma, and that major cultural institutions are now refusing Sackler money.

"Going forward, these drugs are important and they are useful for a limited class of patients for a limited period of time and now we need to turn to other treatments that may be equally beneficial with fewer side effects for patients," says @BarryMeier on opioids.
— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) March 27, 2019

"Unfortunately, because of genetics, there are patients that have an underlying predisposition for substance abuse. [Purdue Pharma] downplayed the risk of the potential of patients to get addicted through standard medical prescribing," says @BarryMeier.
— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) March 27, 2019

"Treatment should be doled out irrespective of whether you became addicted to street drugs or prescription drugs. The end result is that human beings are addicted and they need compassionate and comprehensive treatment." 2/2 https://t.co/mrmNPeUsiR
— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) March 27, 2019

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