The Contribution of Big Pharma to The Opioid Epidemic

On March 19, 2014, 26 year old Jessie Yasenchok was found dead in her apartment by local police in Elizabethtown, New York. Further investigation revealed the cause of death, an accidental overdose from her mother's fentanyl patches, stolen from her car. The patches, which help to relieve pain, are an opioid manufactured by Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceuticals, one of the many companies considered to be part of “Big Pharma,” the massive pharmaceutical industry. Big Pharma consists of several dozen companies, who control the global prescription drug market. Although in the past Americans have been taught to avoid the consumption of illegal drugs at all costs, recently, the fear has shifted to legal prescription medication. Due to their highly addictive nature, opioids have risen to the top of the chain, responsible for approximately 70,000 deaths in 2017, a massive increase from the 3,000 back in 2013. While the nation as a whole has been hit hard by the epidemic, communities in the eastern US seem to have taken the brunt of it, especially New Jersey, New York, and West Virginia.

Who’s to blame? Plenty of blame can go around, doctors who overprescribe highly addictive opioids to patients? Patients who misuse and abuse the drugs? The greed of Big Pharma? Big Pharma’s role in the epidemic can be viewed through several lenses: economic, ethical, and mental health, and most importantly political. As lawmakers attempt to combat the opioid crisis by holding pharmaceutical companies accountable, they face an uphill battle against Big Pharma’s shady lobbying practices and corporate greed. Like many industries, Big Pharma spends millions on lobbying in Washington D.C. and state capitals across the nation. During a meeting in Minnesota to discuss a tax on opioid sales throughout the country, Jessica Nickel, an anti-addiction advocate from the Capitol, listened in and seemed to side with Big Pharma on nearly every point. Many of the politicians present became suspicious of Nickel’s sudden change in views, and began to question whether she had been paid off as a lobbyist, a claim she later denied.

Because of lobbying, programs to help those suffering from opioid addiction are being underfunded. Conducting an interview for the internationally known World Health Organization, writer Anderson Tatum asked contractor Dan Schoepf about his addiction. Schoepf responded by stating, “I used up my supply of prescribed medicines too quickly and went into withdrawal, until I received my next prescription.” Like many industries, Big Pharma seeks to earn a profit, and in order to keep their pills on the market, spends millions on lobbying in Washington D.C. and state capitals across the nation. Over the past ten years alone, the pharmaceutical industry has spent approximately 2.5 billion to persuade lawmakers. Lobbyists are not the only ones receiving money. Aside from advocates, politicians have also accepted money from Big Pharma, as report from The Guardian stated the names of several leaders who have received payment, including Tom Moraino, a current Republican Congressmen from Pennsylvania, and former appointee to be President Trump's Drug Czar. The money being spent by Big Pharma will continue to be used on covering themselves, rather than helping those harmed by their own products, unless something is done.

Recently, the pricing practices of pharmaceutical companies have also come under scrutiny as of late. Senators have questioned the apparent price gouging on lifesaving drugs, such as the Epipen. Meanwhile, companies have suspiciously dropped prices on highly addictive fentanyl patches. In addition to questionable pricing policies, Big Pharma has been accused of fraudulent marketing. A report from the well-respected Los Angeles Times, states that the creators of OxyContin, Purdue Pharmaceuticals, falsely labeled the drugs potency. One has to wonder why companies, who already control a sizable portion of the market feel the need to employ such unethical behaviours. While it may seem that Big Pharma is gaining the upper hand over the opioid epidemic, additional research shows that both lawmakers and law enforcement are holding Big Pharma accountable. In the past three years alone, lawmakers have taken steps in the hopes in reducing the epidemic. In a report from the well-respected New York Times, writer Nick Corasaniti reported on New Jersey’s legislature suing the pharmaceutical company Perdue Pharmaceuticals. New Jersey, home to several of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, has seen a considerable number of deaths related to the epidemic, with 2,700 in 2017. Many blame Perdue, the manufacturer of OxyContin, one of the most well-known and addictive opioids. In the same report Lewis S. Nelson, Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Rutgers University, feels that the epidemic’s mass spread stems from addicts’ dependency on the drugs. He stated that, “everybody on opioids for more than a couple of weeks is dependent, only about five to ten percent of people develop an addiction.” Although the odds for becoming addicted are low, the fact that patients’ bodies become dependent on the drug after mere weeks is telling of its dangers. It's not just New Jersey, as lawmakers from other states such as, Maryland and Louisiana have been pushing for restraints on Big Pharma during their own battles. In cities like Baltimore, hospitals cannot afford certain, medical related opioids, as there manufactures have raised the prices exponentially.

On the smaller side of the issue, local police forces have called out Big Pharma for putting the lives of their towns’ citizens at risk. In 2017, 2,000 people were killed at the hands of opioids throughout Massachusetts, which prompted Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello to unconventionally go to Facebook, and post the names, salaries and phone numbers for the CEO’s of several large pharmaceutical companies. Through the suffering they see in their communities, both lawmakers and law enforcement hope that their work my bring attention to Big Pharma’s responsibility for the opioid epidemic. By addressing the corruption of lobbying, and the issues in their local communities, lawmaker and law enforcement seek to hold Big Pharma accountable for their hand in creating the opioid epidemic.

The widespread use of anything harmful to humans is never going to end well for a population, and the opioid epidemic is no different. Although the death toll has skyrocketed in past few years, there are several solutions that can help to reverse the trend. While many new restrictions have been placed on Big Pharma, the government still holds one major trump card that it has yet to play. Through the use of a federal law known as Section 1498, Big Pharma would be forced to create low-cost, low-addictive versions of their prescriptions. It could potentially solve the problem by creating a downturn in profits, which could cause Big Pharma to limit funding for lobbyists and payments to doctors. Alternatively, perhaps public awareness campaigns and better access to treatment programs are the way to go, as reported by the New York Times, “The preliminary C.D.C. (Centers for Disease Control) date show death rates leveling off nationally in the early months this year (2018).”

The opioid epidemic is one of the biggest problems our nation has faced throughout the past decade, as its effects sweep far beyond the confines of a single area. While states like New York and West Virginia have been hit hard by the epidemic, no part of the US is immune to it. Opioid epidemic is both a national issue and a personal issue for the thousands of families torn apart by it, such as Jessie Yasenchok’s family. While lawmakers have begun to voice their concerns, in order to make a difference, they must hold Big Pharma accountable for their role in the crisis.

Works Cited

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