On Tuesday, OxyContin manufacturer Purdue Pharma was sentenced in federal court and subjected to criminal penalties. Yet another sign that nature, and the nation, are healing.
Opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma LP (Purdue) was sentenced today in federal court in Newark, New Jersey, and ordered to pay criminal penalties of over $5 billion for its role in fueling the opioid epidemic.
That’s a lot of money that will ultimately assist the families victimized by Purdue Pharma’s blatant disregard of how their drug fueled the crisis, especially in rural America. The Trump administration has been instrumental in spearheading this change, using tariffs, initiatives, and executive orders to address the flow of opioids from foreign countries. The smart coordination throughout all the levers of government, especially the Department of Health and Human Services, has contributed to changing the model on how pharmaceuticals and addiction are being approached.
Between the Coast Guard, the FBI, the DEA, and other arms of law enforcement housed under the DOJ umbrella, there has been a laser focus on preventing fentanyl and opioids from entering our borders. But this sentencing will go a long way in addressing the market for legal drugs within the interior, while holding companies accountable for their part in fostering the epidemic.
The court ordered Purdue to pay a criminal fine of $3.544 billion, which will be assessed in connection with the bankruptcy proceedings, and an additional $2 billion in criminal forfeiture. The Department will credit up to $1.775 billion against the $2 billion forfeiture amount based on the value conferred to state, local, and tribal governments through Purdue’s bankruptcy if Purdue ceases to operate in its current form and emerges from bankruptcy as a public benefit company (PBC) or entity with a similar mission designed for the benefit of the American public. The proceeds of the PBC will be directed toward state and local opioid abatement programs. In addition, Purdue is required to host a public document repository containing documents relating to the criminal charges.
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“Purdue Pharma put profits over patient health and safety,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The company willfully rejected the law and ignored the diversion of their highly addictive prescription drugs. Their actions contributed to the opioid crisis that claimed countless lives and destroyed entire families and communities. Today’s sentence is a prime example of the Department’s effort to redress past wrongs by rooting out and punishing unlawful conduct by companies that have contributed to the national crisis.”
“The opioid epidemic in the United States is a plague that has ruined lives and destroyed families,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Purdue Pharma complicitly contributed to this national epidemic in the name of their own greed by blatantly ignoring the health and safety of patients putting countless lives at risk. The FBI and our DOJ partners will always work tirelessly to ensure that companies, like Pharma, pay for the harm they have inflicted and warn others that they will not get away with violating the law for personal gain.”
Court documents show that between 2007 and 2017, Purdue was fully aware that they were marketing addictive drugs that caused significant harm, and that they were being prescribed excessively, without a legitimate medical reason. Despite mounting so-called effectiveness programs, Purdue “defrauded the DEA by misrepresenting the effectiveness of its programs designed to prevent illegal diversion, and used prescriptions written by problematic prescribers.” This was done to support its requests to the DEA for an increase in its manufacturing capacity.
“Purdue Pharma undermined the government’s efforts to ensure compliance and prevent prescription drug diversion,” said Administrator Terrance Cole of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Their actions fueled a surge in addiction and cost many Americans lives. The prescription opioid epidemic directly paved the way for today’s fentanyl crisis. DEA remains committed to working with registrants, communities, faith-based organizations, and schools to address the damage and end the opioid epidemic that has gripped our nation for far too long.”
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Bottom line: More product meant more doctors prescribing the product to their patients, which resulted in more money and “prestige” for Purdue Pharma and its board of directors.
“By prioritizing profits over people, Purdue prolonged the suffering of patients, leaving them trapped in opioid addiction long after their initial pain subsided,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt for the District of Vermont. “While no resolution adequately could reflect the struggles of people across New England who lost their lives and their loved ones to addiction, today’s sentence takes a substantial step toward recognizing and redressing the harm Purdue caused.
The prescribers were even incentivized for promoting this fraudulence through kickbacks from Purdue. A doctor speaker program avenue and an electronic platform that housed medical records were a part of these perks.
“This generational case against Purdue Pharmaceuticals is one of the most important corporate enforcement cases ever brought by the Department of Justice,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The opioid epidemic was and continues to be a national tragedy that has destroyed far too many lives, families, and communities. Purdue callously focused on profits when it knew that providers were prescribing these addictive opioids to patients without a legitimate medical purpose. While good progress has been made in combating the national opioid crisis, today’s sentencing is a reminder that there is much additional work to be done. Companies like Purdue that place illicit profits over the obligation to be a good and honest corporate citizen will be investigated and prosecuted. Today’s sentencing reflects Purdue’s role in fueling the opioid crisis and concludes the Department’s efforts to hold Purdue accountable for diversion of its products. The Criminal Division remains steadfast in our mission to seek justice on behalf of the American people.”
One company down. Hopefully, this ruling will have a chilling effect on other companies that profit from America’s rot and ruin, rather than its thriving.
Editor’s Note: The American people overwhelmingly support President Trump’s law and order agenda.
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