Dissecting the Opioid/Heroin Epidemic to

Discover its Ugly Roots

Aug-20-2014-Marianne Skolek
Salem-Newscom !nvestigative Reporter
What if the FDA, the DEA, Pharma and their
Lobbying Group !ere reponib"e for the nationa"
#onpira#y in the $pioid%&eroin Epidemi#'
"M#R$%E &E'(H) S(* - Hypothetically) what
i+ the ,D' had an -interest- in approving
dangero.s opioids when /.st nine years an
opioid called 0alladone was p.lled 1y the
,D' a+ter only a month o+ 1eing on the
market +or its danger to the p.1lic2
0.rd.e 0harma) maker o+ the opioid)
epidemic making dr.g O3y(ontin prod.ced
0alladone and had hoped to piggy1ack more pro+its in the 1illions with two
1lock1.ster opioids
4hen does the ,D' say -eno.gh- to approving more opioids and 1egin
protecting the 'merican p.1lic2 National conspiracy2 No it can5t 1e --
1eca.se 'ttorneys 6eneral co.ld pro1e and possi1ly e3pose an ,D' 6ate
Hypothetically) what i+ the DE' known as the Dr.g En+orcement 'gency
was not) in +act) en+orcing 1.t rather c.lpa1le in a national conspiracy o+
Graph: thenationalcouncil.org
addiction and death2 $he DE' approves the amo.nt o+ O3ycodone
"O3y(ontin* that can 1e prod.ced each year !n 7889 the amo.nt was :;
tons !n <=77 the amo.nt o+ O3y(ontin prod.ced /.mped to 7=> tons
!n <=7< the amo.nt o+ O3y(ontin prod.ced soared to 77? tons or a
7)9?9@ increase over the amo.nt prod.ced in 788A -- the year O3y(ontin
was introd.ced to the medical pro+ession No it can5t 1e -- 1eca.se
'ttorneys 6eneral co.ld pro1e and possi1ly e3pose a DE' 6ate
Hypothetically) what i+ pharmace.tical companies s.ch as 0.rd.e 0harma)
maker o+ O3y(ontin contin.e to +.el the prescription opioid/heroin epidemic
1y recr.iting physicians to speak to the medical pro+ession enco.raging the
.se o+ dangero.s and highly addictive opioids +or long-term) chronic pain2
4here are the non-e3istent scienti+ic st.dies on long-term opioid therapy
+or chronic pain2 No it can5t 1e -- 1eca.se 'ttorneys 6eneral co.ld pro1e
and possi1ly e3pose a 0harma 6ate
Hypothetically) what i+ paid pharma physician spokespersons s.ch as B
David Haddo3) MD) %ynn R 4e1ster) MD) Scott M ,ishman) MD) 0erry ,ine)
MD) R.ssell 0ortenoy) MD and Cathleen ,oley) MD downplayed the risks o+
addiction and death to dangero.s opioids to the medical pro+ession2
'nd what i+ these pharma physicians doc.mented their controversial
statements in 1ooks and videos2
4hat i+ (.rtis 4right) MD approved the opioid O3y(ontin while on the
Review &oard +or the ,D' and s.1seD.ently le+t the ,D' to work +or the
maker o+ O3y(ontin2 No it can5t 1e -- 1eca.se 'ttorneys 6eneral co.ld
pro1e and possi1ly e3pose an Opioid 0.sh 6ate
Hypothetically) what i+ organiEations s.ch as the National 'ssociation o+
Dr.g Diversion !nvestigators "N'DD!* +inancially +.nded 1y and well +ed at
1anD.et ta1les in the 1est hotels in the co.ntry 1y the maker o+ O3y(ontin
downplays the word -addiction- N'DD! +oc.sing on the word -a1.se- and
not the word -addiction- is /.st not +inancially rewarding ! g.ess
'+ter all who wants to +oc.s on physicians who were misled 1y -0harma
6ate- and -Opioid 0.sh 6ate- to treat patients +or chronic pain with long-
term opioid therapy2
! wonder what happens to a legitimate pain patient prescri1ed long-term
opioid therapy +or chronic pain when their physician realiEes they have
created a dr.g addict -- and c.ts their opioid prescription o++2
4onder i+ the words -a1.se-) -street dr.gs-) -heroin- and -pill mills-
1ecomes part o+ the patient5s daily ro.tine2
Did the well +ed N'DD! ever look into the root word o+ a1.se -- co.ld it 1e
addiction2 No it can5t 1e -- 1eca.se 'ttorneys 6eneral co.ld pro1e and
possi1ly e3pose a N'DD! 6ate
Hypothetically) what i+ an organiEation known as -(enter +or %aw+.l 'ccess
and '1.se Deterrence- "(%''D* httpF//claadorg/ was) in +act) lo11ying +or
pharma (%''D lists on their we1site that they claim to ena1le health
pro+essionals) law en+orcement) 1.sinesses) government) and others to
share reso.rces and work together to improve p.1lic health and sa+ety
$hey work to +oster colla1oration among the m.ltiple sectors o+ society that
had previo.sly 1een working conc.rrently) yet not in .nison) to address the
growing national concern +or prescription medication a1.se $here5s that
word -a1.se- again and not -addiction-
0.rd.e 0harma and other pharmace.tical companies are s.pporters o+
(%''D and the National 'ssociation o+ Dr.g Diversion !nvestigators
"N'DD!* also appears to 1e connected to (%''D &.t /.st 1eca.se 0.rd.e
0harma and N'DD! are on (%''D5s we1site doesn5t necessarily mean they
have ties) does it2
$hen there is the National 'ssociation o+ &oards o+ 0harmacy "N'&0* --
wonder i+ there is a %one Ranger and $onto association here with (%''D2
Several weeks ago) ! wrote an article that Orange (o.nty) (ali+ornia and
(ook (o.nty) !llinois were s.ing 0.rd.e 0harma and other pharmace.tical
companies +or the devastation in death and addiction in their states $he
laws.its also re+erenced the physicians ! have long written a1o.t in their
downplaying the risks o+ opioids and ! re+er to a1ove
!nterestingly) (%''D had this to say a1o.t the laws.itsF
(he #ae !a an e)amp"e of opportunim* (he t!o #ountie "i+e"y
ee thi a an opportunity to in#reae re,enue that #ou"d be
dire#ted to pre#ription drug abue program, but #ou"d a"o be put
to!ard other need* -LAAD noted that many "o#a" "a!ma+er are
trugg"ing to find re,enue and "arge pharma#euti#a" #ompanie are
eay po"iti#a" opponent to purue* .ntead of fo#uing on uing the
#ompanie, the t!o #ountie #ou"d be #ooperating !ith hea"th
organi/ation to imp"ement trategie to addre drug abue that
in#"ude pre#riber edu#ation and inter,ention*
-LAAD i #on#erned that a trend !i"" 0ditra#t u from the rea"
meaningfu" approa#he to redu#ing pre#ription drug abue*0 (hey
further uggeted that the "a!uit !ere preempting FDA authority
o,er opioid regu"ation and ignoring that drug ha,e "abe" tating
ho! they hou"d be appropriate"y pre#ribed*
(he "a!uit #ou"d ha,e a #hi""ing effe#t on profeiona"
organi/ation offering #ontinued medi#a" edu#ation on opioid
pre#ribing* .f the #ountie u##eed !ith their #ae, the FDA #ou"d
fee" #ompe""ed to #rutini/e the a#ti,itie of drug #ompanie and
profeiona" group, poib"y ma+ing phyi#ian fearfu" of pea+ing
about appropriate ue for pain+i""er*
' case o+ -opport.nism2- 0harmace.tical companies are -easy political
opponents to p.rs.e2- $he -g.ard dogs- o+ the 'merican people -- the ,D'
-- -co.ld +eel compelled to scr.tiniEe the activities o+ dr.g companies2
Does (%''D not realiEe we are losing tens o+ tho.sands o+ people every
year to addiction and death to dangero.s opioids2 'nd (%''D re+erring to
-physicians +ear+.l o+ speaking a1o.t appropriate .ses +or painkillers-2 No it
can5t 1e -- 1eca.se 'ttorneys 6eneral co.ld pro1e and possi1ly e3pose a
(%''D 6ate
Hypothetically 'ttorneys 6eneral all over the co.ntry co.ld 1e -opening
many gates- to a national conspiracy
!+ yo.5re +ed .p with the national conspiracy) please plan on attending the
,ED U0 Rally in 4ashington) D( on Septem1er <:) <=7? at 7
pmhttp://feduprally.org/ Do it +or the generation we are losing to this
prescription opioid/heroin epidemic -- and +.t.re generations who will 1e
lost i+ yo. allow pro+iteers to dance with the devil
LP - Add the !ord 0inight0 a"ong !ith "o,e, pea#e, faith and
"aughter -- 1ut a+ 0-har"e (odd*0
_______________________________________
2a"em-3e!*#om .n,etigati,e 4eporter 5arianne 2+o"e+,
i an A#ti,it for 6i#tim of $)y-ontin and Purdue Pharma
throughout the 7nited 2tate and -anada* .n 8u"y 2009, he
tetified againt Purdue Pharma in Federa" -ourt in 6irginia at the
enten#ing of their three -E$: - 5i#hae" Friedman, &o!ard 7de""
and Pau" Go"denheim - !ho p"eaded gui"ty to #harge of mar+eting
$)y-ontin a "e "i+e"y to be addi#ti,e or abued to phyi#ian and
patient* 2he a"o tetified againt Purdue Pharma at a 8udi#iary
&earing of the 7*2* 2enate in 8u"y 2009* 5arianne !or+ !ith
go,ernment agen#ie and pri,ate attorney in ha,ing a ,oi#e for
her daughter 8i"", !ho died in 2002 after being pre#ribed
$)y-ontin, a !e"" a the ,oi#e for #ore of ,i#tim of $)y-ontin*
2he ha been in,o",ed in her !or+ for the pat ;-1%2 year and i
#urrent"y !or+ing on a boo+ that e)poe Purdue Pharma for their
#ontinued #rimina" mar+eting of $)y-ontin*
5arianne i a nure ha,ing graduated in 1<<1 a preident of her
graduating #"a* 2he a"o ha a Para"ega" #ertifi#ation* 5arianne
er,ed on a -ommunity 2er,i#e =oard for the -ourier 3e!, a
Gannet ne!paper in 38 !riting arti#"e predominant"y regarding
A.D2 patient and their emotiona" iue* 2he !a a!arded a
-ommunity 2er,i#e A!ard in 1<<> by the &unterdon -ounty, 38
&.6%A.D2 (a+ For#e in re#ognition of and appre#iation for the
donated time, energy and "o,e in fa#i"itating a 2upport Group for
peron !ith &.6%A.D2*
Posted by Thavam