Enjuris Blog | Find Answers and Share Your Accident's Story

Finding answers after your accident

24/7 Free Consult   (800) 734-4134    Log in     EnglishSpanish
  • Find a Lawyer
  • Accident Resources
    • Laws by State
      • Arizona
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Indiana
      • Montana
      • North Carolina
      • Tennessee
      • Texas
      • View all
    • Personal Injury Law
      • You’ve been hurt. Now what?
      • Do I have a claim?
      • Finding the best attorney to represent you
      • Dealing with Insurance
      • View all
    • Accident Types
      • Car accident
      • Truck Accident
      • Workplace injury
      • Wrongful death
      • View all
    • Workers’ Comp
      • Common work injuries
      • Finding the best workers’ comp lawyers
      • How workers’ comp benefits work
      • Personal injury vs. workers’ compensation
      • View all
    • Injury Guides
      • Spinal Cord/Column
      • Brain Injury
      • Occupational injuries
      • Whiplash
      • View all
    • More
      • Blog
      • Tell Your Story
      • Ask a question
      • Forms and Worksheets
      • For Students
      • About Us
  • Attorney Marketing
    • Become a partner
    • Contribute to our blog
    • Join lawyer directory
    • Partnership Opportunities
Home > Blog > News Stories > How Opioid Manufacturers Influence Pain Advocacy Groups

How Opioid Manufacturers Influence Pain Advocacy Groups

Contributor: Jennifer Kilgore How can I contribute?

Big Pharma and Pain Advocacy Groups

New Senate report illustrates payments from Big Pharma/opioid companies

Nobody is quite sure when or how the “opioid crisis” started. However, a new report from the Senate committee investigating the epidemic might shed some light.

Called “Fueling an Epidemic,” the report from U.S. Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee’s ranking member, Senator Claire McCaskill, illustrates how drug makers paid millions to pain-treatment advocacy groups over a five-year period. Her initial report, released in September 2017, said that pharmaceutical companies (Insys in particular) did not have procedures in place to prevent opioid overuse. According to the new report, the relationship between Big Pharma and advocacy groups effectively marketed opioids to the most vulnerable patient population: those with cancer or conditions that can only be treated by the strongest of medications.

Opioids were effectively marketed to the most vulnerable patient population: those with cancer or conditions that can only be treated by the strongest of medications.

The pharmaceutical industry attempted to shape public opinion around controversial drugs like OxyContin, Vicodin and fentanyl, which are among the most addictive opioids and have already claimed thousands of lives. They succeeded for a while. Put bluntly, the report states that this “may have played a significant role in creating the necessary conditions for the U.S. opioid epidemic.”

See how opioids and fentanyl have affected one patient: read Richard’s story.

Companies like Purdue Pharma invested $4.7 million in third-party advocacy groups, leading the conversation for decades. Year after year, doctors and advocates were told by attractive, likeable salespeople about how wonderful opioids are and how efficiently they treat pain. Meanwhile, very little of their addictive natures was disclosed.

What do advocacy groups have to say about the report?

Advocacy groups have spoken up in response to Senator McCaskill’s report, noting that the investments go toward improving access to health care, assisting with copays or paying for methods of pain control other than opioids (such as physical therapy, chiropractic, massage therapy and acupuncture).

Most of the groups are non-profit and rely on donations to survive. Bob Twillman, executive director of the Academy of Integrative Pain Management, said that insurance coverage has actually been a barrier rather than a gateway to health care. Because so many patients pay out of pocket, they can only get the treatment they can afford; that generally does not include alternative care. He also stated that some patients do indeed require opioids, and that is only becoming harder in this medical climate.

The report showed that almost all health advocacy groups accept money from prescription drug manufacturers, and there is little to no transparency surrounding these payments. Additionally, the Journal of the American Medical Association said that 8% of groups reported “pressure to conform their organizations’ positions to the interests of industry funders.”

U.S. Pain Foundation: “…funding we receive has never nor will it ever influence what we will do to help people with chronic pain.”

The U.S. Pain Foundation was quick to refute the lack of transparency, putting out a statement regarding the report and saying that “[a]ny funding we receive has never nor will it ever influence what we will do to help people with chronic pain.” They also pointed out that their donors were even listed on the transparency section of their website, and that $2.5 million of the $2.9 million they received went directly to a copay assistance program for cancer patients (Insys Therapeutics is actually listed as the “copay assistance program sponsor”).

Accepting money from pharmaceutical companies is not a new practice, and advocacy groups are careful about how they allocate funds so they can quell any claims of impropriety. Tax returns are made available so the public can see how the money is spent. The relationship, however, still exists, and if it exists, then pressure can be applied by the person (or entity) holding the upper hand.

While Purdue Pharma has finally stopped marketing OxyContin to doctors, they still plan to sell it on the mass market.

Insys Therapeutics’ fentanyl spray, Subsys, was allegedly sold using kickbacks and bribes (the former CEO and founder was charged in October 2017 for these practices).

That company, along with Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Mylan, shelled out more than $10 million to 14 advocacy groups and doctors during the five-year period studied in the report. As the Associated Press said, this report could “bolster hundreds of lawsuits that are aimed at holding opioid drugmakers responsible for helping fuel an epidemic.”

There are many, many factors involved when trying to decipher the opioid epidemic. Was it just aggressive pharmaceutical manufacturers? Was it illegal fentanyl coming in from China? Was it overprescribing by doctors? Was it PIP fraud in Florida? Was it Medicaid expansion that gave more people access to opioids? Right now, we don’t know—but hopefully this Senate report will continue to illuminate business practices and untangle the opioid web a little bit more.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Required fields are marked *. While our editors moderate all comments, Enjuris cannot guarantee the authenticity or accuracy of the information contained in the post. Also, any information you provide in your comment will be made public on our website. Please avoid sharing confidential and personal information.

Legal Rights Defenders - FREE CONSULTATION 24/7

Categories

  • News Stories
  • My Accident Story
  • Resources You'll Love
  • Questions & Answers
Ask a question

In Your State

AZCA CO FL GA IN MT NC TX

Attorney Authors
Enjuris Partners

Denver accident lawyer Mack Babcock

Mack Babcock
The Babcock Law Firm, CO

Texas personal injury and wrongful death lawyer Laura Brown

Laura Brown
Brown Trial Firm

George Lorenzo

George Lorenzo
Lorenzo & Lorenzo, FL

Neal Davis

Neal Davis
Neal Davis Law Firm, TX

Ben Gerber

Ben Gerber
Gerber & Holder Law, GA

Thomas H. Hinson

Thomas H. Hinson
WPMH, GA

Charles Scholle

Charles Scholle
Scholle Law, GA

Tom Murphy

Tom Murphy
Murphy Law Firm, MT

Matt Murphy

Matt Murphy
Murphy Law Firm, MT

Robert E. Wisniewski

Robert E. Wisniewski
Law Offices of Robert E. Wisniewski, AZ

Wilder Pantazis Law Group

Wilder Pantazis Law Group
NC

Contributors

  • Steven G Wigrizer
  • Terry Bryant

Free E-Books

car accident e-book

I've been in a car accident I've been in a truck accident

truck accident e-book

What happens now?

Tags

accident claim accidents arizona Atlanta attorneys bicycle accidents brain injury Car Accidents children Colorado compensation covid-19 damages Denver Florida Georgia guest post Houston insurance company landlord liability law schools lawsuits liability medical malpractice Montana motorcycle accidents negligence personal injury personal injury lawyers pharmaceutical liability premises liability product liability safety settlement slip and falls statute of limitations students Tampa Texas tort toxic tort truck accidents women workers' compensation wrongful death

What is Enjuris®?

A collection of resources to help people at a tough time in their lives. A place to share your story. A national directory of injury lawyers. Supporter of students, families, caregivers and our communities. How can I contribute?


Hire the right lawyer (800) 734-4134

Lawyer Directory
Car accident attorneys
Defective product attorneys
Personal injury attorneys
Medical malpractice attorneys
Wrongful death attorneys
Workers' compensation attorneys

Enjuris Partner Accident & Injury Lawyers

Tampa Personal Injury Attorneys
Lorenzo & Lorenzo (Tampa, Florida)
Finderson Law (Fort Wayne, Indiana)
Wilder Pantazis Law Group (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Williams & Brown (Waco, Texas)
The Babcock Law Firm (Denver, Colorado)
Gerber & Holder Law (Atlanta, Georgia)
Law Offices of Robert E. Wisniewski (Phoenix, Arizona)
Murphy Law Firm (Great Falls, Montana)
WPMH Legal (Macon, Georgia)
Scholle Law (Duluth, Georgia)


Law students

Enjuris' Student Center is a resource for all pre-law college students and current law students. Learn how to get ahead in your studies and the career field, as well be a guest contributor to our blog and apply for one of our scholarships.


Partner with us

If your goal is to help people after an accident or injury – or to prevent them in the first place – we'd love to hear from you! We look to work with educators, healthcare and recovery organizations, insurance providers, law firms and other organizations. Get in touch to see how we can work together. Learn more...


Are you a personal injury lawyer?

Login Add your Firm Lawyer online marketing Free resources for attorneys

Contact us today to get involved.
Services for attorneys
Personal Injury Law Firms Directory
Directory guidelines
Law firm SEO quote
Terms of Use



SEO Advantage®, Inc.    SEOLegal Division, Lawyer Marketing    3690 West Gandy Blvd., Suite 444    Tampa, FL 33611    Contact us today

Enjuris is a platform dedicated to helping people who are dealing with life-altering accidents and injuries. We support students, families, caregivers and communities with resources, personal stories and a national directory of injury lawyers. Read more about Enjuris.


Copyright © 2021 Enjuris.com. All rights reserved. Terms and conditions The accuracy, completeness, adequacy or currency of the content is not warranted or guaranteed. Our site and services are not substitutes for the advices or services of an attorney. We recommend you consult a lawyer or other appropriate professional if you want legal advice. Privacy policy.

SEOLegal.com