Short Wave The opioid epidemic
Oct 26, 2021
In this insightful discussion, Patrick Radden Keefe, a Staff writer at The New Yorker and author of "Empire of Pain," delves deep into the opioid epidemic's origins. He uncovers the deceptive marketing strategies used by Purdue Pharma during OxyContin's launch and how they misrepresented safety. The conversation highlights the troubling shift in pain management and the catastrophic consequences of corporate greed on public health. Keefe offers a historical perspective that links the rise of prescription opioids to today's crisis, giving listeners a profound understanding of this ongoing tragedy.
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Morphine Rebranding
- Purdue Pharma sought to rebrand morphine, associating it with home use.
- This aimed to detach it from its association with end-of-life care.
OxyContin's Broad Market
- OxyContin was marketed as an all-purpose painkiller, expanding beyond cancer pain.
- Purdue capitalized on the success of MS Contin's time-release technology.
Misleading Potency
- Doctors mistakenly believed OxyContin was weaker than morphine.
- Purdue concealed the fact that it was actually twice as strong.
