The Sackler Family, Developers of Oxycotin

CrazyKittyLvr2 · ‎05-11-2013

They own Purdue Pharm which is a 100% family owned business.

I had never heard of them until a couple days ago. Developed and released Oxycotin in the mid-ninties. They lied to regulators, doctors and patients about the strengh, and in 2007 they were fined $600 million for lying about the drug.

A sales rep.told an executive about a doctor running a pill mill, I believe, and asked if DEA should be notified and the company sat on info for 2 yrs. until the doctor was caught.

When addiction became a problem one of the brothers decided the best course was to blame the patients for getting addicted to a pill Prudue lied about. He also called them criminals.

From 2008 to 2016 the family paid themselves $4.3 billion, yes, with a B.

Evidently all that is ok, They have donated millions and have their name on exhibits and walls of the Guggenheim, Louvre, Harvard, Columbia and are "philantropists". Of course, most of the money came from the drug they lied about. I don't think the donations cancel the deception and damage.

Look, I know the goal of any company is to make money. If someone can make millions or billions and hasn't done it by duping people out of their life savings, or worse, knowingly cause harm/death to people they deserve every penny.

It was an eye opener about a famiy I had never heard of.

happycat · ‎09-18-2010

Wow @CrazyKittyLvr2, I'd never heard that either. Maybe they didn't realize at the very beginning just how addictive it would be? But I think it became apparent pretty dadgum quick.

And now look.

I have extended elderly family members addicted to pain meds. They do have a doctor about 30 minutes away, who prescribes them. I do wonder what will happen when they can't make the trip anymore to get the pain meds.

PamfromCT · ‎05-22-2014

@CrazyKittyLvr2, I had never heard of this company or this family until this story broke. Amazing what some people will do for love of money, isn’t it?

Sweet_Serenity · ‎01-22-2016

Attacking The Devil: Netflix Documentary (British Film) shared on the forum last night. Recommend watching.

GAQShopr53 · ‎07-27-2015

Sounds like real life underground drug dealers who found a way legally to pedal their drugs!

Jasmine19 · ‎07-16-2012

I was a nurse practioner when OxyContin was released in the 90s. I can still remember being detailed by the drug rep who told us how great this medication was because it had a very low addictive potential. Wow, what a lie that was! Back then NPs in my state weren’t allowed to write prescriptions for narcotics. I’m thankful every day that I wasn’t responsible for getting my patients hooked on that drug.

software · ‎06-08-2016

Opium has been used in this country in some form or fashion for a very long time, mostly unregulated.

Going back to at least the 1800s.

Over 30 years ago, you could get a form of it over the counter, but you had to sign for it - Paragoric.

To say that Perdue Pharma didn't know how addictive it was is their first, very big lie.

CrazyKittyLvr2 · ‎05-11-2013

The article I read said since the development 200,000 people have died. I understand some executives have been in trouble but none of the Sackler family. There have been demonstrations at some of the museums trying to convenience them to return the Sackler donations. The family is divided, some members are distancing themselves from the drug. In 2014, I think, they were named the 16th wealthiest family in the US.