America's largest drug companies dumped 76 BILLION opioid pills (230 pills for every American)

[MelissaB]

America's largest drug companies dumped 76 BILLION opioid pills on patients between 2006 and 2012, federal data show

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76 billion opioid pills: Newly released federal data unmasks the epidemic

America’s largest drug companies saturated the country with 76 billion oxycodone and hydrocodone pain pills from 2006 through 2012 as the nation’s deadliest drug epidemic spun out of control, according to previously undisclosed company data released as part of the largest civil action in U.S. history.

The information comes from a database maintained by the Drug Enforcement Administration that tracks the path of every single pain pill sold in the United States — from manufacturers and distributors to pharmacies in every town and city. The data provides an unprecedented look at the surge of legal pain pills that fueled the prescription opioid epidemic, which has resulted in nearly 100,000 deaths from 2006 through 2012.

Just six companies distributed 75 percent of the pills during this period: McKesson Corp., Walgreens, Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen, CVS and Walmart, according to an analysis of the database by The Washington Post. Three companies manufactured 88 percent of the opioids: SpecGx, a subsidiary of Mallinckrodt; ­Actavis Pharma; and Par Pharmaceutical, a subsidiary of Endo Pharmaceuticals.

Purdue Pharma, which the plaintiffs allege sparked the epidemic in the 1990s with its introduction of OxyContin, its version of oxycodone, was ranked fourth among manufacturers with about 3 percent of the market.

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More: https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/76-billion-opioid-pills-newly-released-federal-data-unmasks-the-epidemic/2019/07/16/5f29fd62-a73e-11e9-86dd-d7f0e60391e9_story.html?utm_term=.27ad4208e825

[Recursion]

1. Jesus... Norton City, VA got 306 pills per person per year

from 2006 to 2012. What the fuck did they think would happen?

(Answer: exactly what happened. Addiction makes them a lot of money.)

[LuckyLib]

2. Big Pharma is a criminal enterprise. And the sooner we get control of this the better.

The annual death total is astounding.

[Hekate]

3. They need to be in prison on murder charges. There is ruination and blood all over them. nt

[Recursion]

4. I seriously haven't unclenched my jaw since I read this last night

This is absolutely detestable.

[BeckyDem]

5. This isn't organized crime?

I truly feel sick.

[Hekate]

6. You would think so

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

7. Free market baby!!

[bdamomma]

8. those drug companies should be held

for murdering Americans. I really think they want to kill off Americans.

Kentucky Mitch's state, yea throw him out.