Saturday, February 4, 2023
No Result
View All Result
Find treatment now
The Recover
Call us (888) 510-3898
Add a Listing
  • News
  • Browse Drugs
    • Alcohol
      • Alcohol Info
      • Beer
      • Wine
      • Liquor
      • Binge Drinking
    • Illicit Drugs
      • Illicit Drug Info
      • Cocaine
      • Crack Cocaine
      • Ecstacy
      • Hallucinogens
      • Heroin
      • Inhalants
      • Ketamine
      • Marijuana
      • Meth
      • Synthetic Marijuana
    • Painkillers
      • Painkillers Info
      • Codeine
      • Darvocet
      • Demerol
      • Dilaudid
      • Fentanyl
      • Hydrocone
      • Methadone
      • Morphine
      • OTC Drugs
      • Oxycodone
      • Tramadol
    • Sleeping Pills
      • Sleeping Pills Info
      • Ambien
      • Amytal
      • Lunesta
      • Sonata
    • Stimulants
      • Stimulants Info
      • Adderall
      • Antidepressant
      • Concerta
      • Dexedrine
      • Diet Pills
      • Ritalin
      • Steroids
    • Benzodiazepines
      • Benz Info
      • Ativan
      • Halcion
      • Klonopin
      • Librium
      • Valium
      • Xanax
  • Addiction Treatment Centers
    • Luxury Rehab Centers
    • Countries
      • Drug and Alcohol Rehab Ireland
      • Drug Rehab Switzerland
      • Drug Rehab England
      • Drug Rehab Treatment Costa Rica
      • Mexico Addiction Treatment
  • Treatment
    • Treatment Information
      • Inpatient Rehab
      • Outpatient Rehab
      • US Treatment Centers
      • Inpatient vs Outpatient
      • Treatment Myths
      • Medications for Addiction
      • Drug and Alcohol Detox
      • Faith-Based Treatment
      • Addiction Counselors
      • Sober Living Homes
      • Coping with Triggers
      • Relapse Prevention
      • Pet Friendly Rehabs
      • Couples Rehabs
    • Support Groups
      • 12-Step Programs
      • Alcoholics Anonymous
      • Narcotics Anonymous
      • SMART Recovery
      • Women for Sobriety
      • Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS)
      • LifeRing Secular Recovery (LSR)
      • Celebrate Recovery (CR)
      • Dual Recovery Anonymous
      • Learn to Cope
    • Therapies
      • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
      • Biofeedback
      • Holistic Therapy
      • Experiential Therapy
      • Motivational Enhancement Therapy
      • Dialectical Behavior Therapy
      • Couples Behavioral Therapy
    • Resources for Loved Ones
      • Intervention Services
      • Al-Anon Family Groups
      • Nar-Anon Family Groups
      • Co-Dependents Anonymous
      • Parents of Addicted Loved Ones (PAL) Group
  • Resources
    • Health and Safety
      • Domestic Violence
      • HIV/AIDS
      • Hepatitis and Other Infectious Disease
      • Cardiovascular Effects
      • Respiratory Effects
      • Gastrointestinal Effects
      • Musculoskeletal Effects
      • Kidney Damage
      • Liver Damage
      • Neurological Effects
      • Hormonal Effects
      • Prenatal Effects
      • Other Health Effects
      • Mental Health Effects
      • Death
    • Who Addiction Affects
      • Veterans
      • Teenagers
      • College Students
      • Pregnant Women
      • Professional
      • Elderly
      • Medical Professional
      • LGBTQ
  • Mental Health
    • Dual Diagnosis
    • Eating Disorders
    • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
    • Bipolar Disorder
    • OCD
    • Borderline Personality Disorder
    • Schizophrenia
    • Depression
    • Anxiety Disorders
    • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
    • Personality Disorders
    • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  • FAQ’s
    • What Is Addiction?
      • How Addiction Affects the Brain
    • Can I avoid jail time if I go to rehab?
    • Can I bring my laptop / phone?
    • Can I bring my partner/spouse?
    • Can I bring my pet?
    • Can I call my family in rehab if so, when?
    • How can families and friends help someone needing treatment?
    • How can I find an addiction rehab program?
    • How do I get time off of work to attend addiction rehab?
    • How do I know if my rehab is licensed?
    • How do I pay with insurance?
    • How does addiction affect a teens developing body and mind?
    • How effective is drug addiction treatments?
    • How long does treatment last?
    • I’m not an addict, do I really need treatment?
    • Is addiction a disease?
    • Is drug addiction treatment worth its cost?
    • Is methadone/suboxone a better replacement?
    • Should I choose inpatient or outpatient?
    • Should treatment be gender specific?
    • What advice can you offer when comparing treatment centers?
    • What are the best 12 step alternatives?
    • What happens after discharge?
    • What if I have chronic pain?
    • What if I need psychiatric medication?
    • What is drug addiction treatments?
    • What is private treatment?
    • What is the difference between physical and psychological addiction?
    • What is withdrawal? How long does it last?
    • What role can the criminal justice system play in treatment?
    • What type of accreditations do rehabs have?
    • Where do 12 step or self help programs fit in the program ?
    • Where should I go? Locally/Away?
    • Why cant drug addicts quit on their own?
    • Why do programs use the 12-step program?
    • Will my insurance cover drug rehab treatment?
    • Will they drug test in Rehab?
  • Contact Us
  • News
  • Browse Drugs
    • Alcohol
      • Alcohol Info
      • Beer
      • Wine
      • Liquor
      • Binge Drinking
    • Illicit Drugs
      • Illicit Drug Info
      • Cocaine
      • Crack Cocaine
      • Ecstacy
      • Hallucinogens
      • Heroin
      • Inhalants
      • Ketamine
      • Marijuana
      • Meth
      • Synthetic Marijuana
    • Painkillers
      • Painkillers Info
      • Codeine
      • Darvocet
      • Demerol
      • Dilaudid
      • Fentanyl
      • Hydrocone
      • Methadone
      • Morphine
      • OTC Drugs
      • Oxycodone
      • Tramadol
    • Sleeping Pills
      • Sleeping Pills Info
      • Ambien
      • Amytal
      • Lunesta
      • Sonata
    • Stimulants
      • Stimulants Info
      • Adderall
      • Antidepressant
      • Concerta
      • Dexedrine
      • Diet Pills
      • Ritalin
      • Steroids
    • Benzodiazepines
      • Benz Info
      • Ativan
      • Halcion
      • Klonopin
      • Librium
      • Valium
      • Xanax
  • Addiction Treatment Centers
    • Luxury Rehab Centers
    • Countries
      • Drug and Alcohol Rehab Ireland
      • Drug Rehab Switzerland
      • Drug Rehab England
      • Drug Rehab Treatment Costa Rica
      • Mexico Addiction Treatment
  • Treatment
    • Treatment Information
      • Inpatient Rehab
      • Outpatient Rehab
      • US Treatment Centers
      • Inpatient vs Outpatient
      • Treatment Myths
      • Medications for Addiction
      • Drug and Alcohol Detox
      • Faith-Based Treatment
      • Addiction Counselors
      • Sober Living Homes
      • Coping with Triggers
      • Relapse Prevention
      • Pet Friendly Rehabs
      • Couples Rehabs
    • Support Groups
      • 12-Step Programs
      • Alcoholics Anonymous
      • Narcotics Anonymous
      • SMART Recovery
      • Women for Sobriety
      • Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS)
      • LifeRing Secular Recovery (LSR)
      • Celebrate Recovery (CR)
      • Dual Recovery Anonymous
      • Learn to Cope
    • Therapies
      • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
      • Biofeedback
      • Holistic Therapy
      • Experiential Therapy
      • Motivational Enhancement Therapy
      • Dialectical Behavior Therapy
      • Couples Behavioral Therapy
    • Resources for Loved Ones
      • Intervention Services
      • Al-Anon Family Groups
      • Nar-Anon Family Groups
      • Co-Dependents Anonymous
      • Parents of Addicted Loved Ones (PAL) Group
  • Resources
    • Health and Safety
      • Domestic Violence
      • HIV/AIDS
      • Hepatitis and Other Infectious Disease
      • Cardiovascular Effects
      • Respiratory Effects
      • Gastrointestinal Effects
      • Musculoskeletal Effects
      • Kidney Damage
      • Liver Damage
      • Neurological Effects
      • Hormonal Effects
      • Prenatal Effects
      • Other Health Effects
      • Mental Health Effects
      • Death
    • Who Addiction Affects
      • Veterans
      • Teenagers
      • College Students
      • Pregnant Women
      • Professional
      • Elderly
      • Medical Professional
      • LGBTQ
  • Mental Health
    • Dual Diagnosis
    • Eating Disorders
    • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
    • Bipolar Disorder
    • OCD
    • Borderline Personality Disorder
    • Schizophrenia
    • Depression
    • Anxiety Disorders
    • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
    • Personality Disorders
    • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  • FAQ’s
    • What Is Addiction?
      • How Addiction Affects the Brain
    • Can I avoid jail time if I go to rehab?
    • Can I bring my laptop / phone?
    • Can I bring my partner/spouse?
    • Can I bring my pet?
    • Can I call my family in rehab if so, when?
    • How can families and friends help someone needing treatment?
    • How can I find an addiction rehab program?
    • How do I get time off of work to attend addiction rehab?
    • How do I know if my rehab is licensed?
    • How do I pay with insurance?
    • How does addiction affect a teens developing body and mind?
    • How effective is drug addiction treatments?
    • How long does treatment last?
    • I’m not an addict, do I really need treatment?
    • Is addiction a disease?
    • Is drug addiction treatment worth its cost?
    • Is methadone/suboxone a better replacement?
    • Should I choose inpatient or outpatient?
    • Should treatment be gender specific?
    • What advice can you offer when comparing treatment centers?
    • What are the best 12 step alternatives?
    • What happens after discharge?
    • What if I have chronic pain?
    • What if I need psychiatric medication?
    • What is drug addiction treatments?
    • What is private treatment?
    • What is the difference between physical and psychological addiction?
    • What is withdrawal? How long does it last?
    • What role can the criminal justice system play in treatment?
    • What type of accreditations do rehabs have?
    • Where do 12 step or self help programs fit in the program ?
    • Where should I go? Locally/Away?
    • Why cant drug addicts quit on their own?
    • Why do programs use the 12-step program?
    • Will my insurance cover drug rehab treatment?
    • Will they drug test in Rehab?
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
The Recover
No Result
View All Result

‘Regret’ expressed from Drug Executives after a Long Silence

The Recover by The Recover
May 9, 2018
in Featured, Uncategorized
2
Drug Executives, The Recover

From left: Joseph Mastandrea, chairman of Miami-Luken; John Hammergren, chairman, president and chief executive of McKesson; J. Christopher Smith, former president and CEO of H.D. Smith Wholesale Drug; and Steven Collis, chairman, president and CEO of AmerisourceBergen, are sworn in before they testify about the opioid epidemic during a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s subcommittee on oversight and investigations, on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. (Alex Brandon/AP)

After the past three years of quiet from the opioid epidemic’s silent partner, Five heads of major drug distribution companies met at a congress subcommittee to testify in front of a group of congressmen tasked with investigating the rampant health emergency currently facing North America.

Executive chairman of Cardinal Health, George Barrett expressed his sympathy saying he is sorry the company did not act faster to impede the shipping of millions of hydrocodone and oxycodone pills to two small pharmacies in West Virginia, but later failed to take responsibility for his part in the problem. West Virginia is home to the nation’s highest overdose death rate due to opioids, adding to the tens of thousands killed around the country.

“With the benefit of hindsight, I wish we had moved faster and asked a different set of questions,” Barrett said. “I am deeply sorry we did not. Today, I am confident we would reach different conclusions about those two pharmacies.”

The five men answered specifically to the House Energy and Commerce Committee oversight panel on Tuesday, each individual having their own explanation for their companies’ contribution and denying their direct involvement in their own unique way.

When Rep. Gregg Harper (R-Miss.), chairman of the panel, asked the executives whether they believe the conduct of their companies contributed to the widespread opioid problem, he and three others denied it.

“No,” Barrett said, joining all others except Joseph Mastandrea, chairman of the board at Miami-Luken, who replied: “Yes.”

The House Energy and Commerce Committee panel had spent the past year investigating a claim of ‘pill dumping’ in West Virginia by wholesale drug distributors. The panel revealed in letters sent back in February that McKesson and Cardinal Health shipped 12.3 million doses of powerful prescription opioids to the Family Discount Pharmacy in Mount Gay-Shamrock, W.Va., from 2006 to 2014. The panel has also begun looking into deliveries Cardinal made to the Hurley Drug Company in Williamson, W.Va., because of the 10.5 million pills during that same time period it received. A single pharmacy in the small town of Kermit, W.VA with a population of around 400 people, received nearly 9 million hydrocodone pills over the course of two years.

Wholesale drug distributors are required by law to submit suspicious drug orders to the DEA when a large order comes in. When orders and sales are incorrectly reported, black markets profit from the lack of oversight when prescription pills flood into the market and drive up illicit drug prices.

The five chairpersons answered for Cardinal Health, Miami-Luken, AmerisourceBergen, McKesson and H.D. Smith testified for roughly three hours.

Cardinal denied distributed hydrocodone or oxycodone to the pharmacy in Mount Gay-Shamrock since 2012 or to Williamson since 2014.

“I am so frustrated for the people in West Virginia and across this country that you all have not . . . stepped up and took more responsibility for this,” Rep. David B. McKinley (R-W.Va.) said to the distributors. “The fury inside me right now is bubbling over.”

The hearing room was packed with attorneys, lobbyists and staffers for the drug companies alongside lawyers for counties, towns and cities that are suing the companies — a massive case that has been consolidated in Cleveland, with many distributors as defendants. Municipalities are seeking damages to help them pay for the cost of opioid addiction, which has decimated budgets and strained resources. All but one executive said they have personally met with people affected by opioid addiction.

Lawyers representing the municipalities said their cases will show that the distributors skirted their legal responsibility in order to profit.

“They continue to deny taking responsibility for their willful disregard for the law and for allowing the flood of addictive opioid drugs onto streets across America,” said Troy Rafferty, who represents the plaintiffs. “Not only are these people civilly liable, they’re criminally liable — prosecutors need to get involved.”

 

The chief executive of the Healthcare Distribution Alliance, John M. Gray, runs the trade group that represents distributors, said in a statement that the companies understand the “tragic impact” of opioid abuse, but “we need to be realistic and acknowledge that this epidemic was not caused by distributors who neither prescribe, manufacture, nor dispense medicines.”  He then said the root of the problem lies in “decades of belief that opioids could be prescribed with little risk.”

The executives pointed the blame at doctors, who they said overprescribed painkillers, and the licensed pharmacists who dispensed them.

“I want to know whether you all should be held to account, because if the doctors and the pharmacies are being held responsible, I sure as the dickens think you all have a role in this thing too,” McKinley said.

McKinley asked John Hammergren, the chair, president and chief executive of McKesson, if he regrets his company’s role in the crisis.

“I don’t know how you can look at this crisis and not feel terrible about what is going on in this country,” Hammergren said.

Hammergren said his company (McKesson) distributed about 151 million doses of oxycodone and hydrocodone in West Virginia between 2007 and 2012, calling it “a fraction of the nearly 2 billion doses” of all prescription medicines McKesson distributed in the state during that same time frame.

“Put another way, West Virginia pharmacies overall were, and continue to be, very high-volume customers for prescription drugs generally,” he said.

Committee members said they could not understand why so many painkillers were distributed in such places.

“The sheer number of opioids dumped into small towns,” said Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), “ is just baffling and simply incomprehensible.”

Cardinal Health was fined $44 million in 2016 to resolve allegations that it failed to report suspicious orders of narcotics. Before that, Cardinal paid a $34 million fine to settle similar allegations in 2008.

Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) asked Hammergren why McKesson kept shipping massive quantities of opioids to small towns despite having agreed to the terms of the settlements.

“You saw paying the penalties on the settlement agreements was a cost worth paying because you were making so much money?” she asked. Hammergren replied: “Any settlement with a regulator, we take very seriously.” He was also asked how much the company makes from two drugs that are used to reverse opioid overdoses and that have risen steeply in price in recent years. Hammergren said he does not know.

McKinley placed the blame on the corporation heads, and wondered aloud what the punishment should be for helping create a crisis that kills 900 people in West Virginia each year saying;

 “I just want you to feel shame about your roles, respectively, in all of this.”

Source : The Recover Newsroom

Previous Post

Alcoholism Drug Developed at University of Texas Showing Signs of Promise

Next Post

Mother Loses Custody of her Ninth Child due to Drug Abuse

Next Post
addicted mother loses 9th child due to drug abuse, The Recover

Mother Loses Custody of her Ninth Child due to Drug Abuse

Please login to join discussion

Questions about treatment?


Get Confidential Help 24/7

Call now for:

Access to top treatment centers
Caring, supportive guidance
Financial assistance options
---- Call Us Today ----
(888) 510-3898

Get Answers to your Questions

Find a Treatment Center Near You

Learn more about your options and find the perfect treatment center in your area

Find A Local Rehab Center

Recent Posts

  • Why Does My Eye Hurt When I Blink
  • Masturbation Effects on Kidneys
  • Are More People Depressed
  • How to Detox From Weed
  • Should I Take Meloxicam at Night Or in the Morning
  • How to Recover From Too Much THC Edibles
  • Best Supplements For Peyronies Disease
  • Shrink Your Prostate in a Matter of Seconds
The Recover

© 2018 The Recover

Find Help Now
Confidential Call
(888) 510-3898

Info

  • About Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • E-mail
  • Add a Listing

Social

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Browse Drugs
    • Alcohol
      • Alcohol Info
      • Beer
      • Wine
      • Liquor
      • Binge Drinking
    • Illicit Drugs
      • Illicit Drug Info
      • Cocaine
      • Crack Cocaine
      • Ecstacy
      • Hallucinogens
      • Heroin
      • Inhalants
      • Ketamine
      • Marijuana
      • Meth
      • Synthetic Marijuana
    • Painkillers
      • Painkillers Info
      • Codeine
      • Darvocet
      • Demerol
      • Dilaudid
      • Fentanyl
      • Hydrocone
      • Methadone
      • Morphine
      • OTC Drugs
      • Oxycodone
      • Tramadol
    • Sleeping Pills
      • Sleeping Pills Info
      • Ambien
      • Amytal
      • Lunesta
      • Sonata
    • Stimulants
      • Stimulants Info
      • Adderall
      • Antidepressant
      • Concerta
      • Dexedrine
      • Diet Pills
      • Ritalin
      • Steroids
    • Benzodiazepines
      • Benz Info
      • Ativan
      • Halcion
      • Klonopin
      • Librium
      • Valium
      • Xanax
  • Addiction Treatment Centers
    • Luxury Rehab Centers
    • Countries
      • Drug and Alcohol Rehab Ireland
      • Drug Rehab Switzerland
      • Drug Rehab England
      • Drug Rehab Treatment Costa Rica
      • Mexico Addiction Treatment
  • Treatment
    • Treatment Information
      • Inpatient Rehab
      • Outpatient Rehab
      • US Treatment Centers
      • Inpatient vs Outpatient
      • Treatment Myths
      • Medications for Addiction
      • Drug and Alcohol Detox
      • Faith-Based Treatment
      • Addiction Counselors
      • Sober Living Homes
      • Coping with Triggers
      • Relapse Prevention
      • Pet Friendly Rehabs
      • Couples Rehabs
    • Support Groups
      • 12-Step Programs
      • Alcoholics Anonymous
      • Narcotics Anonymous
      • SMART Recovery
      • Women for Sobriety
      • Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS)
      • LifeRing Secular Recovery (LSR)
      • Celebrate Recovery (CR)
      • Dual Recovery Anonymous
      • Learn to Cope
    • Therapies
      • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
      • Biofeedback
      • Holistic Therapy
      • Experiential Therapy
      • Motivational Enhancement Therapy
      • Dialectical Behavior Therapy
      • Couples Behavioral Therapy
    • Resources for Loved Ones
      • Intervention Services
      • Al-Anon Family Groups
      • Nar-Anon Family Groups
      • Co-Dependents Anonymous
      • Parents of Addicted Loved Ones (PAL) Group
  • Resources
    • Health and Safety
      • Domestic Violence
      • HIV/AIDS
      • Hepatitis and Other Infectious Disease
      • Cardiovascular Effects
      • Respiratory Effects
      • Gastrointestinal Effects
      • Musculoskeletal Effects
      • Kidney Damage
      • Liver Damage
      • Neurological Effects
      • Hormonal Effects
      • Prenatal Effects
      • Other Health Effects
      • Mental Health Effects
      • Death
    • Who Addiction Affects
      • Veterans
      • Teenagers
      • College Students
      • Pregnant Women
      • Professional
      • Elderly
      • Medical Professional
      • LGBTQ
  • Mental Health
    • Dual Diagnosis
    • Eating Disorders
    • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
    • Bipolar Disorder
    • OCD
    • Borderline Personality Disorder
    • Schizophrenia
    • Depression
    • Anxiety Disorders
    • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
    • Personality Disorders
    • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  • FAQ’s
    • What Is Addiction?
      • How Addiction Affects the Brain
    • Can I avoid jail time if I go to rehab?
    • Can I bring my laptop / phone?
    • Can I bring my partner/spouse?
    • Can I bring my pet?
    • Can I call my family in rehab if so, when?
    • How can families and friends help someone needing treatment?
    • How can I find an addiction rehab program?
    • How do I get time off of work to attend addiction rehab?
    • How do I know if my rehab is licensed?
    • How do I pay with insurance?
    • How does addiction affect a teens developing body and mind?
    • How effective is drug addiction treatments?
    • How long does treatment last?
    • I’m not an addict, do I really need treatment?
    • Is addiction a disease?
    • Is drug addiction treatment worth its cost?
    • Is methadone/suboxone a better replacement?
    • Should I choose inpatient or outpatient?
    • Should treatment be gender specific?
    • What advice can you offer when comparing treatment centers?
    • What are the best 12 step alternatives?
    • What happens after discharge?
    • What if I have chronic pain?
    • What if I need psychiatric medication?
    • What is drug addiction treatments?
    • What is private treatment?
    • What is the difference between physical and psychological addiction?
    • What is withdrawal? How long does it last?
    • What role can the criminal justice system play in treatment?
    • What type of accreditations do rehabs have?
    • Where do 12 step or self help programs fit in the program ?
    • Where should I go? Locally/Away?
    • Why cant drug addicts quit on their own?
    • Why do programs use the 12-step program?
    • Will my insurance cover drug rehab treatment?
    • Will they drug test in Rehab?
  • Contact Us

© 2018 The Recover

Find Help Now
Confidential Call
(888) 510-3898

Change Location
To find awesome listings near you!