The History of the Opioid Epidemic

In 1996, Purdue pharmaceuticals won FDA approval for OxyContin. The company claimed the drug did not pose addiction risks because of its patented time release formula and because it was only supposed to be prescribed to so-called trustworthy patients. Remarkably, a formula that ultimately turned out to do nothing to deter abuse made OxyContin different from standard Oxycodone. No one stopped to ask what happens to this capsule once it gets out into the community.