PBMs paid billions by drug companies to prolong opioid epidemic

[brycejones]

Link to NYT article will be good for 14 days

Drugmakers Paid PBMs Not to Restrict Opioid Prescriptions

Drugmakers including Purdue Pharma paid pharmacy benefit managers not to restrict painkiller prescriptions, a New York Times investigation found.

www.nytimes.com

Why hadn’t the middlemen, known as pharmacy benefit managers, acted sooner to address a crisis that had been building for decades?

One reason, a New York Times investigation found: Drugmakers had been paying them not to.

For years, the benefit managers, or P.B.M.s, took payments from opioid manufacturers, including Purdue Pharma, in return for not restricting the flow of pills. As tens of thousands of Americans overdosed and died from prescription painkillers, the middlemen collected billions of dollars in payments.

Just a reminder that the PBM owned by United Healthcare has the largest market share among PBMs.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

As someone who personally suffered from the opioid epidemic, this entire cast of characters should be in prison for the remainder of their life. Fuck all of them.

 

[brycejones]

As someone who personally suffered from the opioid epidemic, this entire cast of characters should be in prison for the remainder of their life. Fuck all of them.

But what about "shareholder value creation"?

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

But what about "shareholder value creation"?

Burn it to the ground. Honestly I don't care what goes down with it. Nothing should benefit from opioid over-prescription.

 

[dainthomas]

As someone who personally suffered from the opioid epidemic, this entire cast of characters should be in prison for the remainder of their life. Fuck all of them.

The fact that prison wasn't even on the table for any of the Sacklers tells you everything you need to know about the justice system. Possibly the deadliest crime in the country's history.

 

[K1052]

It is very American that we created a system absolutely ripe for abuse and also made it nearly impossible for people experiencing genuine pain to obtain sufficiently strong medications.

 

[brycejones]

Opioids were fine as long as corporations were profiting. When the browns moved in their "illegal drugs" then it became a national emergency.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

As someone who personally suffered from the opioid epidemic, this entire cast of characters should be in prison for the remainder of their life. Fuck all of them.

Should be in the ground like murdering Thompson. I took some Tylenol-3 (acetaminophen + codeine) a couple of weeks ago for a kidney stone and I just didn't see how these opioids could have any appeal for recreational use after my first experience with them. But given how well it killed the pain of that stone shredding my insides I can see how addictive they could be which is why I only took two of them (at the times the pain was at its peak) instead of the 30 pills I was prescribed. It's such a fucking crime for years that was the legal way to get high instead of people having access to a relatively harmless drug like weed that provides an actual fun high without the physical dependency. And then that legal way traps you into a hardcore addiction. Ugh both my grandfather and aunt became hardcore codeine addicts thanks to the things being passed out like candy. He died but she has thankfully kicked it.

 

[brycejones]

It is very American that we created a system absolutely ripe for abuse and also made it nearly impossible for people experiencing genuine pain to obtain sufficiently strong medications.

Suffering is gods will.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Should be in the ground like murdering Thompson. I took some Tylenol-3 (acetaminophen + codeine) a couple of weeks ago for a kidney stone and I just didn't see how these opioids could have any appeal for recreational use after my first experience with them. But given how well it killed the pain of that stone shredding my insides I can see how addictive they could be which is why I only took two of them (at the times the pain was at its peak) instead of the 30 pills I was prescribed. It's such a fucking crime for years that was the legal way to get high instead of people having access to a relatively harmless drug like weed that provides an actual fun high without the physical dependency. And then that legal way traps you into a hardcore addiction. Ugh both my grandfather and aunt became hardcore codeine addicts thanks to the things being passed out like candy. He died but she has thankfully kicked it.

Nobody that I know took opioids recreationally. Usually someone who was already predisposed to addiction got them prescribed for legitimate reasons, in far, FAR greater quantities than they needed (that includes me, I got a script for 30 for a wisdom tooth removal, I needed 1). A single round of more than a few of them is enough to get you physiologically addicted, and the mental addiction kicks in right about the first day you stop taking them, and your joints feel like they have glass in them. By then you're already at a point where you probably need to get addicted to something to help come down off them.

They, like most medication we develop, does exactly what it's designed to do. Most people who take it a) don't know what that is or b) don't know the consequences for taking it.

 

[jmagg]

b)

 

[MrSquished]

Anybody named Luigi want to pay a visit to some Pharma CEO's?

 

[Indus]

But what about "shareholder value creation"?

I wouldn't mind a new S&P 500 index without any healthcare/ pharma companies.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Nobody that I know took opioids recreationally. Usually someone who was already predisposed to addiction got them prescribed for legitimate reasons, in far, FAR greater quantities than they needed (that includes me, I got a script for 30 for a wisdom tooth removal, I needed 1). A single round of more than a few of them is enough to get you physiologically addicted, and the mental addiction kicks in right about the first day you stop taking them, and your joints feel like they have glass in them. By then you're already at a point where you probably need to get addicted to something to help come down off them.

They, like most medication we develop, does exactly what it's designed to do. Most people who take it a) don't know what that is or b) don't know the consequences for taking it.

My grandfather took them because he was bored and it was a legal drug easy to get. Yeah 30 pills is nuts for a wisdom tooth. I'm not going to flush my 28 remaining pills in case I get another kidney stone in the next few years that way I can have them in case. No real point in going to the ER for a stone unless the thing doesn't pass if you already have the pain meds.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Anybody named Luigi want to pay a visit to some Pharma CEO's?

 

[ch33zw1z]

Nobody that I know took opioids recreationally. Usually someone who was already predisposed to addiction got them prescribed for legitimate reasons, in far, FAR greater quantities than they needed (that includes me, I got a script for 30 for a wisdom tooth removal, I needed 1). A single round of more than a few of them is enough to get you physiologically addicted, and the mental addiction kicks in right about the first day you stop taking them, and your joints feel like they have glass in them. By then you're already at a point where you probably need to get addicted to something to help come down off them.

They, like most medication we develop, does exactly what it's designed to do. Most people who take it a) don't know what that is or b) don't know the consequences for taking it.

Real drug education is needed. The tough part about opioids is that you don’t even need a predisposition to addiction, opioids will make it happen anyways. Parents, teachers your kids better than dare did, we need to know what drugs are, why and when to take them, and how to stop

 

[Zorba]

Just found out my 60 year-old cousin died today of a fentanyl OD. He got hooked on Oxy about 25 years ago after a car accident messed up his back. Basically had been a shell of himself ever since.

Ridiculous how this shit was pushed on the American public and no one has faced consequences.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Just found out my 60 year-old cousin died today of a fentanyl OD. He got hooked on Oxy about 25 years ago after a car accident messed up his back. Basically had been a shell of himself ever since.

Ridiculous how this shit was pushed on the American public and no one has faced consequences.

I'm sorry man, that's terrible. I wish someone would have to pay for killing your cousin and lots of other family members we all have who were taken down by these ridiculous pharma execs.

 

[brycejones]

Just found out my 60 year-old cousin died today of a fentanyl OD. He got hooked on Oxy about 25 years ago after a car accident messed up his back. Basically had been a shell of himself ever since.

Ridiculous how this shit was pushed on the American public and no one has faced consequences.

Damn, sorry for your family’s loss.

 

[darkswordsman17]

I listened to Science Vs episode (well 2 part) about Opioid crisis, and one of the more fucked up things is that they knew back in the fucking 80s that for a lot of people opiates were outright harmful (people fucking died, it wasn't even addiction related, the people were given them by doctors in hospital and their health deteriorated) and weren't actually better than normal NSAIDs for pain for some people. And there was a medical review board that handwaived away the data because they were being tasked with figuring out a solution to pain (they had a woman that was on that board and goddamn she was infuriating to listen to because she clearly cannot take any responsibility for her role), so they just recommended pushing opiates (basically said they're safe and completely dismissed any addiction issues) and then when the Sackofshitlers lied about their synthetic junk not being addictive (which they already knew was a lie), it went critical. Total top to bottom fuckup.

Of course NSAIDs had their own issue (recent Behind the Bastards covered another one of big pharma's fuckups that pertains to NSAIDs or rather trying to deal with negative aspects). Makes it easy to see why people mistrust the industry.

Opioids were fine as long as corporations were profiting. When the browns moved in their "illegal drugs" then it became a national emergency.

Don't forget the Chinese.

The fact that prison wasn't even on the table for any of the Sattlers tells you everything you need to know about the justice system. Possibly the deadliest crime in the country's history.

Isn't it the Sacklers? Imagine how tight those assholes are clinching their assholes after recent events.

 

[UNCjigga]

Funny how the stopgap funding bill that passed Congress yesterday did NOT include any of the more meaningful reforms for PBMs. Thanks Trump.

 

[Indus]

Just found out my 60 year-old cousin died today of a fentanyl OD. He got hooked on Oxy about 25 years ago after a car accident messed up his back. Basically had been a shell of himself ever since.

Ridiculous how this shit was pushed on the American public and no one has faced consequences.

That sucks and sorry to hear that man!

 

[Brainonska511]

I understand why PBMs exist, but their incentives don't align well for saving companies and people money on prescription drugs, and as a result need elimination or heavier regulation.

 

[iRONic]

Funny how the stopgap funding bill that passed Congress yesterday did NOT include any of the more meaningful reforms for PBMs. Thanks Trump.

So close… you should be thanking president Musk.

 

[DaaQ]

Nobody that I know took opioids recreationally. Usually someone who was already predisposed to addiction got them prescribed for legitimate reasons, in far, FAR greater quantities than they needed (that includes me, I got a script for 30 for a wisdom tooth removal, I needed 1). A single round of more than a few of them is enough to get you physiologically addicted, and the mental addiction kicks in right about the first day you stop taking them, and your joints feel like they have glass in them. By then you're already at a point where you probably need to get addicted to something to help come down off them.

They, like most medication we develop, does exactly what it's designed to do. Most people who take it a) don't know what that is or b) don't know the consequences for taking it.

Emphasis mine, 5 days is all it takes.

The Sacklers and all who were complicit, should have been forced to ingest Oxy 80s twice a day for 5 days minimum. then cut off cold turkey. Guarantee all would have turned to the big H.