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Doctors Across the Country Charged With Illegally Prescribing Narcotics

Federal officials have charged 53 medical professionals, including 31 doctors, with illegally prescribing and distributing narcotic pain killers. The April 2019 bust, conducted by the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force, proved to be the largest takedown of “whitecoat” opioid prescribers to date. The law enforcement effort focused on states most heavily impacted by the opioid crisis, including West Virginia and Ohio.

This is one of many lawsuits aimed to curb the distribution of addictive painkillers and reduce the impact of opioid addiction on the community. Proceeds awarded from similar lawsuits have been funneled into addiction treatment programs. The medical community is believed to be responsible for the uptick in opioid addiction.

The Opioid Epidemic Today

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), opioids are responsible for 130 deaths each day in America. Nearly 70% of all drug overdose deaths can be traced back to opioids, making painkiller addiction a public health emergency of epic proportions.

As of 2016, an astounding 2 million people were addicted to opioid painkillers. Virtually every corner of society has been touched by this epidemic. One-third of Americans know someone who is an addict or a recovering addict.

How Doctors Played a Role

Many believe doctors played a huge role in starting and feeding the opioid epidemic. Statistics show addiction cases and deaths appeared in waves that can be correlated to practices within the medical community at the time. For example, the first wave occurred in the 1990s and coincided with an increase of doctors prescribing opioid painkillers.

Subsequent waves can also be traced back to practices within the medical community, as can strides to reduce addiction. When the medical community started regulating prescriptions and reducing the opioids they prescribed, fewer people became addicted.

Lawsuits and the Fight Against Addiction

In recent months, prosecutors at the state and federal levels have been filing lawsuits against pharmaceutical manufacturers, the CEOs of pharmaceutical companies, doctors, distributors and pharmacies in an effort to curb the opioid epidemic and to bring those responsible to justice. There are currently dozens of cases in the court system, and more are expected to follow.

It is hoped that lawsuits will curb the predatory nature of pharmaceutical companies by hitting them with financial and criminal consequences.

The fight against the opioid epidemic is only beginning. You can expect to see more doctors under scrutiny and more lawsuits as the fight advances.

6/5/2019 7:00:00 AM

Written by Wellness Editor

Wellness Exists to Empower Health Conscious Consumers. Wellness.com helps people live healthier, happier and more successful lives by connecting them with the best health, wellness and lifestyle information and resources on the web.

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Comments

Kratom,conolidine and CBD oil are available and usually more effective than opiates. The FDA must be stopped from cutting off Indonesian supplies of Kratom!

Posted by Cleavis Nowell

I recently had a total knee replacement, and I couldn't get my orthopedic doctor to give me enough medication to help me thru all the chronic pain, that comes with having between 25 and 30 staples in my knee.
His answer to massive pain was some hydrocodone, but his primary answer was ice and therapy, of course one of the reasons for the pain, was the painful therapy.
If you have any type surgery, you bettered be prepared to handle the pain primarily on your own, because you'll never get enough medication, to get you thru all the chronic pain.
Because of the junkies and the government, people who need and have good reason for pain medication, can't get it.
There are times the government needs to leave dr's and their patients, alone.

Posted by GAH

Build a wall around U.S. doctors, that will work

Posted by G.A.

They were prescribing Opiods illegally. The ones who do it legally get into trouble because of the uses abusing he Opiods. Have your physician or surgeon prescribe the least amounts and if they don't work don't go to another prescriber to get more. If you are addicted it is your own fault.

Posted by Omar Hossin

In my opinion I don't think the doctors should be held accountable for this they were only doing their job but the FDA should be held accountable for this because they knew this was a addictive drug but they didn't tell anybody they were told by the maker but they kept it quiet so they could make their billions and billions and billions of dollars so the FDA should be held accountable to also they're not innocent like they're portraying themselves to be they're just as guilty as anybody else.

Posted by Ernest T Tirebitter

I have had so many surgeries on my back neck and other parts of my body I’m in pain 24 hours a day with pain levels at 8 to 10. All these opioid over dosing and doctors over prescribing is hurting people that need it like me and others like me what can we do about that

Posted by Timothy

Some People Have Been Hurt By The Opioid Crisis. I have a Neurological Condition that causes Tremendous Excruciating Pain 24/7. No Surgeries or modalities like Spinal Cord Stimulator And Intrathecal Pain Pump has Totally Stopped The Pain. I also take a lot of Prescription Medications. One Thing I KNOW IS WHEN I HAD AN ORAL OPIOID CALLED FENTANYL along with all with All The Other Stuff I was able to get out of my house. I was able to go to Family Holiday Gatherings but for the Past 5 Years I have Not Been Able To Do Anything Anymore. I THINK 🤔 DOCTORS SHOULD CONSIDER THE PATIENTS THAT NEED THE ORAL OPIOID INSTEAD OF RUNNING SCARED.

Posted by Chelly88

I am opioid resistant, I didnt choose to be this way. I had an accident where I burst my ankle & broke L1,L2, L3, L4 & L5 all compression fractures. I have severe arthritis in every bone I broke + stenosis, scoliosis, several other narrowing of my spine. In Mo. I got a daily dose of 240mg once per day & I lived with it. Unfortunately I returned to Calif my home of over 55 years. Now the 0ain management I go to will only give me 110mg per day, because I am opioid resistant I have no relief from my pain. My primary care Dr is trying to find a Dr here that will write prescriptions for what my body requires. This isn't. My choice to be this way. Been thinking of moving back to Mo as my pain limits me to do nothing every day. Sure am tired of sitting around all day.

Posted by John Boyer

As a senior citizen that suffers from bad joints, diabetic neuropathy, for which a strong pain killer is often the only thing that helps me. I am allergic to aspirin and all the medications that are aspirin based. I can't get my physicians to write me a script for even a little amt of an opioid. I don't abuse my meds and it isn't fair to people like myself to be denied the medication we need to make some difficult days tolerable. Take the Doctors and pharmacists off the job if they are caught abusing their position of dispensing drugs. Seems the people that need anything the most are the very ones that always get the short end of the stick. When will our government ever start going to bat for the people that actually pay their salary. (Not the lobbyist's.

Posted by PeaKay

What they are not telling you is that the percentages include street drug overdoses such as heroin and fentanyl. There are many, many things that kill more people every year in America than opiates.. such as : second hand smoke, smoking, drinking, drunk driving, car accidents, murders..on and on. This so called opioid epidemic has been blown out of proportion for the wrong reasons and has caused what really needs our attention to be overlooked. Mental illness and Drug Addiction is the root of most major issues in America, to include mass shootings. The main issue I take with the opiate crisis reaction is that peoples medicine is being denied or cut off, and now pain medication has become a dirty word. Some people need these medications and not everyone is abusing them. As usual... we get politically motivated and politically correct responses to our problems without ever truly addressing them or coming up with a solution... Opiate Epidemic will disappear when the next buzzword cool media promoting topic is needed for paper sales and political gain.

Posted by 10mm