President Donald Trump has long been public enemy number one for Big Pharma. Since his campaign and subsequent election, he has fought back against the corrupt practices that make up the Big Pharma industry. Most recently, Trump is attempting to make them pay for their role in the current opioid epidemic facing the nation.
The Trump Administration recently brought criminal charges against company executives and major drug distributors. The specific charges were aimed at Rochester Drug Co-operative Inc. as well as company executives. They are charged will helping fuel the opioid epidemic by turning a blind eye to thousands of dubious orders for opioid painkillers. The company quickly agreed to cough up $20 million in an effort to defer prosecution.
“We are holding big Pharma accountable,” the president said.
As of 2017, deaths from opioid overdose have increased by 17% from previous years. This is an increase of 49,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Deaths relating to potent synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, have also surged 45% within that same time.
President Trump isn’t the only one attacking big Pharma companies for their role in opioid related problems. There are hundreds of lawsuits in progress by local and state governments that accuse various drug makers, like Purdue Pharma, of marketing opioids in an intentionally deceptive manner. They are also going after distributors like AmerisourceBergen Cor, McKesson Corp and Cardinal Health Inc. for ignoring evidence that opioids were being used in an improper way.
Though President Trump’s administration has just recently launched legal action, he has been on their case for some time now. He actually declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency in October 2017. Last week, U.S. health officials say they plan to allot some $350 million, covering four states, to come up with the best plan of action for dealing with the opioid crisis on a local level. Their goal is to reduce opioid-related deaths by 40% over the next three years time.
President Trump again warned that the wall bordering Mexico needs to be built as a way to prevent illegal drugs like heroin from entering the country so easily. This effort will also serve to curb the crisis related to opioid abuse.
The problem with the opioid crisis is how easily the addiction can begin. A person goes into the hospital for some legitimate problem, or visits a doctor for a painful condition, and is then prescribed painkillers in the form of opioids. If they are not extremely careful, they can quickly become addicted to the drugs. This leads them to seek more and more of the drug to get the same high or in most cases, simply not have withdrawal symptoms, which are less than pleasant.
Eventually, those addicted to opioids will seek alternative drugs to keep up their habit. Some will turn to street drugs like heroin. Eventually, this leads the addict to give up everything good in his or her life for the high or in order to prevent the onset of horrible withdrawal symptoms. These individuals sadly will often end up dying of an overdose, or on the streets without a job in order to continue to feed their addiction. Some will make it out and seek help off the drugs. They are the fortunate ones though, and many of them will eventually relapse.
This is what makes this crisis so devastating for the nation. It is ripping families apart, leaving kids without parents, and devastating entire generations. It impacts all races, all income levels and all education levels. It must be stopped.
President Trump, thankfully, recognizes the devastating effects caused by the opioid crisis. Consequently, he is committed to seeing changes made and is attacking Big Pharma where it hurt the most, their pocketbook.
~ Conservative Zone
CLEAN THEIR DOPE PUSHING CLOCKS AND TAKE THEM TO THE CLEANERS FOR THE DEATHS THEY PROMOTED BY FLOODING THE MARKET WITH POSION PILLS!!
Going after money won’t stop them. It will help if all the money goes to help those needing recovery. You’ll stop this when people are locked up. When they have had everything taken from them like the poor souls they inslaved.
I dont think monetary fines are very effective. CEO and Chaiman of boards need to spend time in prision
Published the truth young people got hooked on illicit drugs coming over our southern border not law abiding chronic pain patients seeking care. There are a lot of senior people that are being affected negatively over the inflated numbers the CDC has produced. The addiction numbers are inflated greatly Illegal fentanyl and heroin is killingOh and meth and cocaine or hurt killing more people than prescription pain medication. Most of these people using these drugs illegal did not start by using legally prescribed medication for themselves they either stole or bought them illegally.
Unfortunately, our “unbiased’ media finds this un-newsworthy, so it might as well have never happened. When will conservatives begin to challenge the left’s iron grip on the MSM?
There is a world of difference btwn
Legitimate, chronic pain patients. They use carefully prescribed Rx’s carefully, and moderately. Often, trouble-free for many years. These are known as “Legacy Pain Chronic Pain Patients”. Worlds of
difference from Rx abusers, heroin addicts, street drug users, etc.
However, CDC lumps everyone in every category into one big blender. Then hits the on-button to achieve desired propaganda ends.
The Trump War On Opiates has done DEVESTATING damage, and killed legacy psin patients. How? By suddenly stopping or severely cutting below appropriate therapeutic effective dosing.
All in the name of this ill-conceived war. The victims in this because of severe, reckless, collateral damage. The chronic pain patients suffer from severely debilitating disease. From unfixable nerve
related damage. Spinal injuries.
Neuromuscular diseases. These people and their doctors have tried it all in seeking a better painfree life. Its not to be found. Their Rx’s afford them a small window of opportunity to experience life the rest of us live, pain free. Theirs is NEVER pain-free. But its reduced.
So, when that only help and hope they have is arbitrarily taken away
“because that’s the new rules” in a cookbook medicine fashion, One size fits all… These people in excruciating, never-ending pain, must seek alternatives. Their clinic refuses to be compassionate dur to MD’s and other prescribers being heavily prosecuted and jailed, for their compassion. Most know the guidelines are rigid and ineffective. But their hands are tied. Trump’s CDC at his direction built that. Well intentioned, yes.
But horribly studied first, then applying the best methods to fix the issue. Instead, they are fixing a pocketwarch with a 20 pound sledgehammer. Patients are dying as a result. From suicide, and from the heroin they turn to for desperate pain relief. Which is worse?
BUT— there may be hope finally!
After a few years of insane federal
over-reach, I have read THREE seperate articles in the ladt week in which the CDC, and others, are now after severe pressure from patient advocacy groups, suicide statistics, re-evaluation. The CDC now in true gubmint fashion, places the burden of responsibility for the hard-stops on legacy patient pain medications, and overly aggressive scaling back the
Morphine Equivalent Units (MEQ,
A quantifiable dosing standard) of patients, due to overly aggressive
primary healthcare providers, and aggressive pain clinics, etc. saying the CDC guideline on opiate dosing were misundersfood by providers.
The CDC now urges relaxation of the rigid recipe, to more of a patient based, minimal effective dosing level guideline.
I HAVE WAITED ANXIOUSLY, DAY BY DAY. ONE AFTER ANOTHER FOR ANY LOGICAL
RELIEF TO FINALLY GIVE A LIGHT AT THE END OF THIS EXTREMELY LONG, PITCH BLACK TUNNEL. FINALLY MAYBE, A RAY OF NEW HOPE!
DO A GOOGLE AND SEE FOR YOURSELF!