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March 9, 2022


Title: Purdue Pharma to Pay $6 BILLION
Topic: Opioid Epidemic in America
Discussed by Peter Pitts
with The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (www.CMPI.org)

Peter Pitts is the current President of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest and a former Food and Drug Administration Associate Commissioner.

Today Peter discusses the recent agreement by Purdue Pharma, the maker of the painkiller OxyContin, to pay $6 BILLION to settle a series of lawsuits over its role in fueling the nationwide opioid epidemic.

Click here for more information on the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest.

Questions/Issues Discussed:

Who is to blame for the national opioid epidemic?

Does the $6 BILLION settlement agreement squash all further lawsuit attempts? Peter explains that Purdue Pharma should be exempt from future lawsuits, but others may not be.

Can drug dealers (criminals) be held responsible for addictions?

Will pharmaceutical companies that made the generic equivalent of OxyContin be held responsible? Peter believes they will be, but they don’t have deep pockets like Purdue Pharma.

How can we help people who are suffering from addiction to OxyContin?

Why did Purdue Pharma agree to pay $6 BILLION? Why didn’t they pull OxyContin off the shelves when they first realized it was so addicting and ruining lives?



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July 16, 2019


Title: Opioid Epidemic in America
Topic: Opioid Epidemic in America
Discussed by Dr. Jane Orient
with Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (www.aapsonline.org)

What is a UPI – Unique Patient Identifier? Is there a push in Congress to give every American a UPI?

Dr. Jane Orient has been in solo private practice since 1981 and has served as Executive Director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) since 1989, and is currently president of Doctors for Disaster Preparedness.

Questions/Issues Discussed:

What is an opioid?

Is there an opioid epidemic in America?

Is Fentanyl (the most common opioid) coming across our southern border and from China in tidal waves?

What is “Doctor Shopping”? Later in the interview, Dr. Orient explains how this only accounts for 2-3% of all opioid use…

What is a UPI – Unique Patient Identifier? Is there a push in Congress to give every American a UPI?

Is the use of a UPI disguised as a way to deal with and treat those addicted to opioids?

How many people die each year from an opioid overdose?

Is giving a UPI to every American a step towards better consumer-driven health care or a giant leap towards “no card – no care” government control? Dr. Orient believes that UPI’s will have zero affect on opioid use and deaths…

Are the users of opioids finding an alternative on the black market through illegal drug dealers?



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