Purdue Pharmaceutical’s Role in the Prescription Painkiller Abuse Epidemic

Prescription abuse has reached epic proportions. From Irvine Calif., to the East Coast, people of all different demographics are struggling with addictions to sleep medications, anti-depressants and above all, painkillers. While the exact number of painkiller addicts living in America is currently unknown, according to WebMD.com 1.7 million people over the age of 12 reported abusing the prescription medications in 2007. That number is guaranteed to be higher now, as the epidemic has spread.

Many wonder how that number got so high in such a short amount of time. Many point to past over-prescription of painkillers. Many others point to societal shortcomings that allow addiction to exist so rampantly. There are also many who believe the problem, which has caused the need for countless drug rehab centers, can be pinpointed to a single organization.

That organization is the Connecticut based pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharmaceuticals, the inventor of Oxycontin.

Invented in 1995, the drug was a major breakthrough in opiate-based pain medication, which had been around since World War One. The main selling point was the drug’s timed-release mechanism, according to Forbes.com.

This time release was supposed to cut the likelihood of abuse, since opiate based medication had already been known to be heavily addictive. Sadly, those in Irvine area drug rehab centers know that this alleged quality of Oxycontin did not hold to be true.

According to Art Van Zee, with the American Journal of Public Health, Purdue Pharmaceuticals proceeded to heavily market Oxycontin’s “non-addictive” qualities. The marketing campaign aggressively and directly targeted physicians, contributing to the drug’s high rate of sales.

This availability immediately increased addiction rates, as well as Purdue’s sales. The sale of Oxycontin went up from $48 million in 1996 to $1.1 billion in 2000. According to Van Zee, by 2004, Oxycontin was the most abused drug in America, sending countless individuals to drug rehab centers from Irvine to the Midwest.

By the late 2000s, America had caught on to Purdue’s misleading advertising and marketing tactics, as well as its hand in the drug addiction epidemic. According to Forbes.com, in 2007, Purdue was ordered by the Department of Justice to pay $635 million in fines after pleading guilty to various false marketing charges.

The company still denies any wrongdoing, but that seems far from true in light of past actions. While the fine they paid may have helped a little bit, the problem as a whole persists. If you or someone you love is addicted to prescription painkillers, it is important to get help from any of the Irvine area rehab centers immediately.

Ian Carry is a health writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Miramar Drug and Alcohol Reheb Centers. Follow on Twitter