Painkiller (2023) s01e04 Episode Script
Is Believed
1
This program is based on real events.
However, certain characters, names,
incidents, locations, and dialogue
have been fictionalized
for dramatic purposes.
What hasn't been fictionalized
is my daughter Elizabeth.
My daughter, Elizabeth,
died because of opioid addiction.
She was full of life and love
and I miss her.
I miss everything about her.
Every day I wake up
and I make sure I look at her
because I never want to go a day
without remembering the joy
that she brought me.
I'll do the painting, the art
Wait.
Thank you.
- Which floor?
- Oh, nine.
We're going the same place.
- Did you get a call too?
- Yep.
"Get your ass to Connecticut."
You think it's bad?
Like, are we in trouble?
I just go where they tell me.
I saw one of Dr. Cooper's
patients crush it and snort it.
What are you doing?
I put that in my notes.
Deborah Marlowe
from Howard Udell's office.
He'd like to fly you to Connecticut
to meet with him.
Shannon Shaeffer.
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you for coming here
on such short notice.
My name is Howard Udell.
I am vice president and chief counsel
of Purdue Pharmaceuticals.
Take a look at each other.
You are the future of this company.
You are here today
because you are the newest members
of our Elite Toppers Club,
the 10 best performing sales reps
in the country.
Congratulations, give yourselves a hand.
Ladies, now, you will be receiving
a substantial bonus
and a title promotion.
You will also be responsible
for recruiting the next generation
of sales reps.
It is a big responsibility,
but we have faith
you will be successful.
Again, congratulations, all of you.
I think the ladies have set up
some refreshments in the back veranda,
so follow them out.
Thank you all, you did great
and I look forward to working with you.
- Thank you.
- You bet, thank you.
Miss Shaeffer.
- A word?
- Of course.
Congratulations.
- Thank you.
- Well done.
We're all very impressed
with how invested you are in your doctors
and we really want to encourage
that kind of commitment.
Okay.
But in the future,
whenever you have concerns,
it's best that you call us.
Don't put it in my notes?
Did I say put it in your notes?
- No.
- No.
What did I say?
- Call.
- Call.
- Okay.
- Just call.
- Okay?
- Nice to meet you.
- Thanks again.
- And you.
Why'd they make me a Topper?
- What do you mean?
- Why'd they make me a Topper?
Because I told you
about Cooper and that girl?
I put it in my notes?
No, because of your numbers.
That girl's a junkie.
- She's not your problem.
- Isn't she?
Just because someone
doesn't love themselves enough
to look at the label on a Pop-Tart
and see that it's all sugar
or to use a drug as directed,
it doesn't make it our problem.
We can only worry about ourselves.
God, I look like my fucking mom!
Does that make us bad people?
Would a man ever question his own worth
after getting a fucking baller promotion?
- Probably not.
- No.
When men get promoted, they jizz all over,
like buckets of it.
Just because you're a woman
and want something
doesn't make you a bad person.
Fuck that.
You can do good in this world
and still make a ton of money,
and you can spend that money
on whatever you want.
You deserve it.
- Do you want the high thread count?
- The 401?
- The penthouse apartment?
- I do.
- Do you?
- I do!
We don't look back.
We only look forward.
- You look really good.
- Yeah, I know.
The people at the top
have never given a shit
about what's happening at the bottom.
And things at the bottom were bad.
Get your hand out of there, Nadine!
Where's Scoop?
Scoop!
- Kenny. Kenny's back!
- Get your card?
It's good.
Get in back with the rest of them.
Don't touch Nadine! She's in a mood.
- Hey, Dickerson.
- Yes, sir?
Kenny is a busy boy today. Busy boy.
Morning.
Sheriff Baker, Summers County.
I've arrested dealers, doctors, addicts
Drug dealers sending homeless drug addicts
into pain clinics to get Oxy prescriptions
and then driving them to pharmacies
to get them filled.
Some of these doctors
will give Oxy to anyone with a pulse.
Oh, Shaunette, what's good?
- Hey, Scoop.
- How you doing?
Scoop! Scoop, let's go!
- Let's go!
- I'll roll through later.
Come on! Hurry up!
Let me see.
Every drugstore in my county
has been robbed.
You can spot these kids,
green and yellow streaks
across their shirt.
This was a place where
all the kids would come and make out.
That's it, wrap it up, and let's move.
You see that powder?
This is your OxyContin.
They grind this up into a powder
and then they snort it.
12-hour hit, one dose.
- Good stuff.
- Amen.
We'll hit a couple today.
- Amen.
- Hop in.
That's what I'm talking about.
- Kenny, give me one of them 40s.
- One quick stop first.
OxyContin ain't nothing more than heroin.
I had a 32-year-old plumber strangled
at the Piggly Wiggly last Thursday
over three fucking pills.
It was a new dope economy
with all the chaos that came with it.
Better be good, man.
Dickerson, you seeing that?
- Yes, sheriff.
- Let's go get him.
Fuck.
Fuck!
This drug is permeating
every part of our community
from schools, hospitals
never mind the jails.
Get off my ass!
Heroin wrapped up in a pretty little pill.
The local cops couldn't handle it.
They didn't teach this shit
at the academy.
Goddamn Fuck!
I need multiple
ambulances here, 10th and Emerald.
Send as many vehicles as you have.
Sir, I'm telling you,
we're getting our asses kicked.
We need a new way.
We need help.
We need help.
I hear you.
I hear every one of you,
and my office
is taking this very seriously
and we will do something about this.
You have my word.
- Sir.
- What are your thoughts?
Sir, this ain't gonna stop
until these doctors
stop prescribing this drug.
Right.
And we can't stop someone
from doing something that's not illegal.
- You get me?
- Yeah.
- We got this.
- Okay.
There's a monster out there.
Let's cut its head off.
What laws are Purdue breaking?
List them for me.
I can't do my job without a crime, Edie.
I'll find the crime.
You ever prosecute a company
as big as Purdue Pharma?
- No.
- No one has.
- All due respect
- All due respect, I'm not stopping.
You can't take on
Those little Purdue Malibu Barbies
are doing the exact same thing.
They are doing the exact same thing
as every crack dealer
in every corner in America,
except they are getting rewarded for it,
getting made rich off of it.
My brother is in a prison cell
right now, rotting.
What is the difference?
They know they are killing people.
They know it.
They're out on the streets, and they know,
and they are getting their nails done.
My mother was turned into a vegetable
because of this.
Brain damage from smoking this shit.
I was the one who had to be with her.
I had to stay with her,
taking care of her until she died.
There was nobody but me.
And I am not stopping.
I'm sorry about your mother.
But if you want to get these guys,
you want to smash these motherfuckers,
then we gotta find a crime,
you understand?
You wanna take them down?
Find the crime.
"Police chase leads to van flipping
with 17 homeless
who were being used as OxyContin mules."
I can read.
A new drug
is sweeping the streets,
and users say the high
is the most powerful they've experienced.
The OxyContin is becoming
more popular than Ecstasy.
- "Six dead, multiple amputations."
- I can read.
In the 21 years
I've been a federal prosecutor,
I've never seen a drug problem like this.
A fast-spreading plague of addiction.
- An addiction so gripping
- So popular, so fast,
people have stolen the drug
from medicine cabinets.
"OxyContin,
an opioid as strong as heroin."
Yeah, I can read.
I'm reading the same article you are.
A Boston area nursing home
was robbed at gunpoint for OxyContin.
Illegal use of this synthetic
opiate is overwhelming law enforcement
- in a growing number of states.
- stealing OxyContin
OxyContin has created a surge
OxyContin abuse
has reached epidemic proportions.
This will not simply evaporate
into the news cycle,
Richard, this is real.
This problem is real.
Maybe.
"OxyContin mule"
is not an endearing phrase
you want to attached to our product.
No.
Attacking the problem
could be somewhat self-harming,
considering we are arguably the problem.
We're not the problem.
We're simply the supply.
Attack the demand.
Attack the lowlife abusers.
I'm seeking the assistance
of the healthcare community
in combating an increasingly
serious problem in Maine.
I'm referring to the abuse
and misuse of OxyContin.
People wanted answers
and the pressure was mounting on Purdue.
First attorney to pop
was Jay McCloskey of Maine.
He sent a letter to members of Congress
and 5,000 practicing physicians,
warning them about increasing problems
with OxyContin.
I believe OxyContin to be the biggest
criminal and social threat in Maine.
Turn it off.
- Now.
- So, what should the response be?
Press release.
Present as a responsible
corporate citizen.
Yes, I think we get in front of it.
Immediately.
- Offer some fixes, outreach, donations
- How much is that going to cost?
- Lobster-sucking hillbillies!
- Give them a few fixes
Let's buy AA!
- A responsible corporate citizen.
- Where do we cap this?
- in three months, it's all over.
- NA, Al-Anon.
- Who's drafting the press release?
- Okay, quiet! Quiet!
We should back law enforcement.
Howard, talk to McCloskey.
Tell him he has our full support.
It's time to hammer on the abusers.
Abuse is criminal.
- Simple as that.
- How will that solve anything?
These junkies are not victims,
they're victimizers.
Give them nothing and they will go away.
I like it.
I will not take a knee
to a fucking junkie.
Hammer. Hammer. Hammer
- Hammer those junkies!
- Hammer them boys.
Fucking junkies. Fuck.
- Some fucking junkies.
- Yeah.
Yeah.
- Where do you think we're going?
- The car.
Yeah, we're going to the car,
because we're gonna go to school.
Where were you?
I was honking, waiting for you guys.
In the car and then where are we going?
- Come on!
- That's what we're wearing?
I'll get back to you later.
Straight to jammy school.
Aha. You come up with that?
Yeah. No, I'm still on hold.
- Frank, end of day.
- Okay.
Picking it up.
Have you seen my reading glasses?
- No, but can you take her?
- Yeah.
Okay. No, we wanted the synthetic ones.
Psst.
Go to Daddy! Go to Daddy! Go!
- We're gonna get Daddy's glasses.
- I'm still here.
Get Daddy's glasses.
Yeah, how many pieces?
Yeah. Yeah, that works.
Okay, thank you.
- Hippo needs his glasses.
- No, he doesn't!
Where are they?
Okay, um, let's make sure.
- Hold on, we got to find Daddy's glasses.
- Daddy!
Watermelon fight?
I'll come to win.
You know what? You're going down.
Yes! Bye!
Where we going?
Where are you going?
- I'm gonna get some water.
- Will you grab my?
Party people
In the place to be ♪
- It's about that time ♪
- For us to ♪
Tony!
- Good to see you!
- My goodness!
- It's been so long.
- Look so beautiful.
- Thank you.
- So beautiful.
- Who's this?
- My new girl.
I'm Shannon Shaeffer.
- Do you like fast automobiles?
- I love them.
This is about as real
and as fast as it gets.
'98 black Carrera.
Handles real well and sounds real good.
Shannon, let me look at those eyes.
Those are some blue, blue eyes,
so there's really only one option
for Shannon Shaeffer.
How's that feel?
It feels good.
Looks good, feels good,
is good, Shannon Shaeffer.
She's all yours.
Do you want it?
- How bad?
- So bad!
So bad?
You make me feel so good ♪
What is happening?
Bad, bad, bad, bad boy ♪
Yours.
- What?
- It's yours!
- No.
- Yes.
This is what happens when you work hard.
- I live here?
- You live here.
By myself?
I love it so much.
Stop! This is the biggest TV
I've ever seen.
Look at how big it is!
Now we're jizzing!
One time you had it all
I ain't mad at y'all ♪
Now give me the catalog
I'll show you how Daddy bought ♪
What if I told you it's possible
to make a difference in this world?
And what if I told you,
you could make a lot of money doing it?
Who here has heard of OxyContin?
If you all are too chickenshit
to admit you know exactly what Oxy is,
how are you gonna sell it?
What's your name?
- Molly.
- Hi, Molly.
Molly here is ready
to make some big moves.
How about the rest of you? Chanel?
Do you like Porsches?
Mercedes? Do you like money?
There's a Ferrari.
- What kind of car?
- McClaren!
You got Mercedes,
Porsches, Maserati,
Tommy Hilfiger, Tom Ford, Saint Laurent.
You like coats?
Money's coming at your face!
Hello! Do you like money? Marc Jacobs?
You can make your dreams come true.
This man don't take any of that. Right?
- Absolutely, absolutely.
- All right.
We're back. We got a special guest.
- Who do we got?
- You got a Dr. D.
Right
Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
Are you okay?
Are you okay? Oh, look at me.
Look at me. Look at me.
Are you okay? What happened?
I don't know. It's The lift, it broke.
I don't know,
maybe I forgot to to lock it.
- We have to call insurance.
- What's the matter with you?
Look at me. What's wrong?
- Look at me.
- I forgot the latch. I can't!
You're believing what he's saying?
He's sneaking out in the night
and popping pills in his truck.
- The lift broke.
- You should pay attention.
- He's an addict.
- Hey, look at me.
Are you okay?
- What's wrong with you?
- The latch, it broke!
I don't know.
Maybe I forgot I forgot the latch.
- What are you talking about?
- Why are you playing dumb?
You know what he's doing! Look at him.
Look at him, he's not even there, okay?
- I've seen him.
- Get the fuck out of here.
- I've seen him in
- Just stop it!
I've seen him before work
and popping pills!
You're dropping cars off the lift?
Wait, wait, wait, you
- Wait, you saw him do that?
- Yes!
- Yes, that's what I'm trying to say.
- Then why didn't you say something?
What do you mean?
Why didn't you tell me the minute
that you saw him fucking do it?
It's not This isn't my fault.
Why didn't you tell me
the minute you knew?
- Fuck you, if you think this is my fault
- Hey! No! Fuck you!
He is addicted to pills and he is in pain,
because you were so fucking stupid
in the first place!
Get the fuck out of here!
It's your fault! Get out!
Get out!
Go!
- I forgot.
- Shut up.
I forgot.
Now, I'm gonna say this again,
because it's worth repeating.
Opioids don't just destroy the lives
of those who abuse them,
they destroy the lives
of everyone in their orbit.
What's going on? What is this?
I don't know. These protesters are crazy.
I think they're throwing something at me.
- We'll figure it out.
- It's crazy!
- It's all day long!
- Are you okay?
They're throwing stuff at my office!
We'll We'll help you. Okay?
- I'll figure this out.
- You put me in this position.
Just I Yeah, yeah, yeah.
We will, we will.
- What is Purdue gonna do?
- Liar!
Okay? Okay.
We don't cave.
Hammer on the abusers.
Carol Brewster and the media
have raised fear and concerns
based on misinformation.
Hammer on the abusers.
And while it is tragic,
the death of her daughter,
we do have additional information
about Ms. Brewster.
What's the plan, Shannon?
- It's ruining my life.
- Take a deep breath.
Her mom is on TV crying.
- Saying that I killed her daughter.
- Her daughter died.
- Of course she's crying.
- Her daughter was a junkie.
She can't look at herself and say,
"I messed up. My daughter was a druggie."
She needs to blame someone.
Right now, that's you.
You're the doctor.
You know what happened.
She's not a doctor. She's a sad mom.
- What am I supposed to do?
- I've got you.
You're part of my team.
You don't have to hide.
I I want to get you out there
in front of other doctors.
I think you're inspiring.
Your prescription volume is gold.
What's the fascination with money?
- Where does that come from?
- Do you not like it?
- What Where's your watch?
- I
All right. Yeah, yeah. I get it.
Purdue was gonna do whatever they had to
to protect their Golden Goose,
so they spun the narrative
of Oxy supporters.
They made it real clear
they're not the problem, it's the addicts.
As a physician, I am outraged
that people would abuse this medication.
Unfortunately, the abuse community
has also found out how to use it.
They're glorifying the addict
and the small number of people
The problem is not the abuse of OxyContin,
it's the abuse of drugs.
Hammer on the abusers.
But at this time, it is our understanding
that there were multiple drugs
in Ms. Brewster's system,
so it is unclear if this is related
specifically to OxyContin
or to Ms. Brewster's history of ongoing,
illegal drug abuse.
That's the end of the statement.
I will not be taking questions.
- Thank you.
- How dare you?
Did you know her daughter?
Yeah, I delivered her.
She was a good kid.
Every doctor I looked into
had been upping their Oxy prescriptions.
But then I found Dr. Gregory Fitzgibbons.
He'd only prescribed Oxy twice.
First time was for cancer.
Second time was for cancer.
This is every single article and letter
I sent to Purdue Pharma in 1998.
There's no question that our best,
strongest pain medicines are the opioids,
but these same drugs have a reputation
for causing addiction and terrible things.
Why do you think that is?
The rate of addiction
amongst pain patients
- Wait for it.
- is much less than one percent.
is much less than one percent.
Less than one percent?
That's a lie.
That's a real big lie.
Wait, but Purdue claims
that's from a study
in the New England Journal of Medicine.
- Yeah?
- Yeah
Less than 1% is a direct quote,
from a landmark study conducted
- by Drs. Porter and Jick
- Drs. Porter and Jick.
in the New England Journal of Medicine,
January 1980.
Oh, right.
Okay, hold on a second.
Lawyers, guns, and money.
January 1980.
There is your landmark study.
This isn't a report,
this is a letter to the editor.
Uh-huh.
This is the landmark study?
Uh-huh.
Well, it's not a report, it's
Our survey on short-term opioid use
in a controlled environment, a hospital.
It's not related to long-term,
unsupervised opioid use.
Dr. Jick, your letter
has become the founding gospel
in the pain management field.
Oh, get out of town!
It's all over Purdue's training materials.
No, no, no. I wrote this letter
to the editor 20 years ago.
How does the FDA allow them to get away
with misrepresenting my letter?
Good question.
My biggest issue
was with the language saying things like,
"is believed to reduce
the abuse liability of a drug."
- Is believed by who?
- Exactly.
- Yeah, I told them it sounds like BS.
- Then why approve it?
Well, I wasn't the medical officer
in charge of the application.
Who was?
- Curtis Wright.
- Curtis Wright.
- Curtis Wright.
- Curtis goddamn Wright.
He's incredibly persuasive.
Good morning, Dr. Wright!
I didn't realize
there'd be so many of you.
Oh, they're real good.
The pressure
was becoming relentless for Purdue,
but Richard Sackler and the Purdue
hype machine kept charging forward.
I've seen the revolution firsthand.
I have seen it at work,
allowing my patients
to manage their own pain
on a consistent basis.
And not just treatment for
or amelioration of diseases
or their symptoms
but a true path to freedom.
Thank you. Hey!
You, sir, are a natural!
- Oh, thank you!
- Cheers!
That's what we all want, right?
You show me what it is
to really believe in something.
- Oh, good!
- Yeah.
The fat speaking fee
makes me believe it even more.
Shut up.
Believe in OxyContin.
I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you.
Trust in OxyContin.
I got you something.
- You don't need to.
- You changed my life, I wanted to.
And prescribe the heck out of OxyContin!
- Oh, I don't
- You don't have to say anything.
I will see you all at the bar
for some drinks
courtesy of the great Richard Sackler.
Save some for me! Save some for me.
Nobody has to know.
I'm gonna take you up to my room
and fuck you.
Yes, baby!
- Could you please not?
- Could I please what?
Give you that? You've been wanting that.
Coming by my office at night.
A little OxyContin kick back?
Going to conferences
and wearing dresses like this.
- Sneaky girl!
- Yes!
juicy, fruity day, little missy.
On the outside, it was business as usual.
But inside Purdue,
the walls were caving in.
Because of the McCloskey letter,
we are being asked
to testify before Congress.
What does it mean, "we are being asked"?
It says a representative from the company.
It seems we are to decide.
No. No, not me.
Well, you are the president
of the company.
Uncle Arthur never kept a single company
in his own name for exactly this reason.
We'll put up a firewall
between the name and the product.
That's what he did
and that's what we'll do.
God!
We are
fucked! Fuck!
Oh, fuck! Fuck!
Mortimer!
It will be you three.
Me?
- Who, us?
- In front of Congress?
Medical, marketing, and legal.
You can handle anything
that comes your way.
Us?
You have a problem with that?
- No. No, no.
- We've got your back, sir.
- Fuck!
- We'll testify.
Mortimer!
Oh, okay!
Okay, great.
Tyler must have forgotten to call me.
I just wanted to make sure. Okay.
Yeah. Everything's great.
Thank you so much.
Take care. Bye.
Kaylee's down.
He's at Jack's.
Okay.
What do you mean, "Okay"?
Are you fucking asleep? It's not okay.
- I don't like when he's over there.
- There's worse places to be.
I told him it was his fault.
You know what? Let me go there,
talk some sense into him
and I'll bring him home.
Let me make this right.
It was my fault. I'm sorry.
I don't like you right now.
- I know.
- Okay.
You better get off of that shit.
- I know.
- I'm serious.
This is my fault. I'm gonna make it right.
It's okay. The sky is not falling yet.
See you soon.
Don't fight with Jack.
I won't. Love you.
Fuck.
Hey, Ty.
I've just come to bring you home.
- Hey, Tina.
- It's Tanya.
Glen, what do you want?
Hey, Jack, it's good to see you.
- I
- You two go inside.
I'm just coming to grab Ty,
he has to get his stuff.
Jesus fucking Christ.
This ain't happening.
This ain't happening. Not here, not now.
- Let's go. You gotta go.
- Hey.
Hey, I fucking see you, man.
You think you can hide this shit from me?
Get in the fucking truck.
Well, there was a misunderstanding
I know, because you're here high as fuck.
- Go.
- No, this morning.
- There was a misunderstanding.
- Get in the truck, now.
Enough. Get in the truck.
- Jack
- Just go home, Glen! Just go home.
- Ty, grab your stuff
- Get in the truck, Glen.
Wake the fuck up.
- Get in the fucking truck and drive home.
- Just go home!
- Okay.
- Just go home, clean up.
- Okay.
- Goddamn mess.
- You're a fucking embarrassment.
- I
Jack, I can't leave without him.
I told Lil I would bring him home.
Don't worry about Lil.
Worry about yourself.
Go the fuck home.
Go home, Glen.
I'm sorry I'm late, sir. God!
No. I just spent the last five minutes
talking my wife off of the ledge.
She got a call from the school.
My kid got beaten up today.
Three kids, they took him,
they cornered him
and beat the shit out of him.
And they crushed his, um
- The orbital bone?
- His orbital bone!
He could lose his eye.
My wife sent me a photograph.
Oh, God. These kids,
they said his father was a murderer.
That his father sold poison to people.
And now I have to testify.
You have schmutz.
Sir?
- On your lapel there's some schmutz.
- Schmutz?
Here, let me.
Stubborn.
Thank you, sir.
I thank the representatives
of Purdue Pharma for appearing.
Your drug brought relief to many.
Regrettably, it has also
brought with it many problems.
Instead of testifying,
he sent Michael Friedman, Howard Udell,
and Paul Goldenheim in front of Congress.
You may be seated.
Mr. Chairman, on behalf of Purdue Pharma,
the distributors of OxyContin tablets,
thank you for taking the time
to hold this hearing.
Today's testimony bears
on a significant question
of health policy:
how to address the problems
of abuse and diversion,
which accompany the sale
of a controlled drug like OxyContin,
without restricting its availability
to meet the needs of doctors and patients
for the effective management of pain.
Now, while every voice
in this debate is important,
we must be especially careful
to listen to the patients
who, without drugs like OxyContin,
would be left untreated.
- Fuck.
- There are many
You know, the body count has increased.
Mr. Hodges has talked to people
who have died of the overdose.
The community of Lee County
literally has been devastated by it.
Senator, we take prescription drug abuse
and the abuse of OxyContin very seriously.
OxyContin is not
the only drug being abused,
it is the drug of the day
in many communities
and we need to take that seriously. Yes.
Believe me, sir, we do.
While you take it seriously,
my question is
what is your responsibility
to deal with this problem?
Really working your girl, aren't you?
We are doing everything we can in terms
of proactivity, to move forward,
to stem the tide of this.
- This is a drug being abused.
- How we doing?
Smashing these little pussy motherfuckers?
Very few are abusing Tylenol.
Yeah, we're smashing
these little pussy motherfuckers.
Few, after taking Tylenol,
are robbing a nursing home in Boston.
We don't have control
over how the product is used.
- We put our trust in the FDA
- I think it's going quite well, don't you?
- Fuck me.
- in doctors,
and what we are dealing with here
is a group who have
another very serious medical problem,
an addiction disorder, an abuse disorder,
and they need treatment too.
They need treatment
as much as the pain patient.
You've reached Glen Kryger,
leave a message.
Can you call me back, please?
Let me get something straight.
You're telling me that
people who are addicted to your drug,
if you will, are addicted to other things?
We weren't hurting and killing people.
People were abusing our drug
Which is very safe.
- They were abusing it.
- You have Oxy?
- They were diverting it.
- Got the money?
We had nothing to do with that.
You've reached Glen Kryger,
leave a message.
Glen! Is Tyler with you?
Fucking answer me!
Like I said, we are in the business
of helping people who are in pain.
That is our business.
The availability of OxyContin
is critical for countless patients.
People are starting
to chop this up and snort it.
And we deeply regret
the tragic consequences
that have resulted
from the misuse of this medicine.
Hey, you've reached
Glen Kryger, leave a message.
Glen, what the fuck?
Are you fucking high right now?
Don't come back!
Fuck! Don't come back here, you fuck!
It was not until last year
when OxyContin press became so prevalent,
we learned that OxyContin, on occasion,
was being crushed and used intravenously.
Mr. Chairman, we didn't know about it.
We only heard about it
after it pulsed up in Maine.
After Jay McCloskey reported it.
- Before that time
- That's a lie.
we had no idea
that our product was being abused.
And I can prove it.
No, sir, Purdue had no prior knowledge
of what was happening up in Maine
or anywhere else in the United States.
There is a doctor here in Virginia
who's been writing to Purdue,
telling them about abuses years before
McCloskey ever even opened his mouth.
They just lied.
They just lied under oath to Congress.
None of us at Purdue Pharma are aware
or have been aware,
up until this very moment,
that there was abuse issues.
I'm not suggesting
OxyContin is not being abused.
- There's your crime.
- I am saying
- There's the crime.
- we were not aware until February 2000.
Mr. Udell, you understand
your testimony is under oath?
Yes, sir. That is correct.
We had them.
Oh, man, we had them so good.
This program is based on real events.
However, certain characters, names,
incidents, locations, and dialogue
have been fictionalized
for dramatic purposes.
What hasn't been fictionalized
is my daughter Elizabeth.
My daughter, Elizabeth,
died because of opioid addiction.
She was full of life and love
and I miss her.
I miss everything about her.
Every day I wake up
and I make sure I look at her
because I never want to go a day
without remembering the joy
that she brought me.
I'll do the painting, the art
Wait.
Thank you.
- Which floor?
- Oh, nine.
We're going the same place.
- Did you get a call too?
- Yep.
"Get your ass to Connecticut."
You think it's bad?
Like, are we in trouble?
I just go where they tell me.
I saw one of Dr. Cooper's
patients crush it and snort it.
What are you doing?
I put that in my notes.
Deborah Marlowe
from Howard Udell's office.
He'd like to fly you to Connecticut
to meet with him.
Shannon Shaeffer.
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you for coming here
on such short notice.
My name is Howard Udell.
I am vice president and chief counsel
of Purdue Pharmaceuticals.
Take a look at each other.
You are the future of this company.
You are here today
because you are the newest members
of our Elite Toppers Club,
the 10 best performing sales reps
in the country.
Congratulations, give yourselves a hand.
Ladies, now, you will be receiving
a substantial bonus
and a title promotion.
You will also be responsible
for recruiting the next generation
of sales reps.
It is a big responsibility,
but we have faith
you will be successful.
Again, congratulations, all of you.
I think the ladies have set up
some refreshments in the back veranda,
so follow them out.
Thank you all, you did great
and I look forward to working with you.
- Thank you.
- You bet, thank you.
Miss Shaeffer.
- A word?
- Of course.
Congratulations.
- Thank you.
- Well done.
We're all very impressed
with how invested you are in your doctors
and we really want to encourage
that kind of commitment.
Okay.
But in the future,
whenever you have concerns,
it's best that you call us.
Don't put it in my notes?
Did I say put it in your notes?
- No.
- No.
What did I say?
- Call.
- Call.
- Okay.
- Just call.
- Okay?
- Nice to meet you.
- Thanks again.
- And you.
Why'd they make me a Topper?
- What do you mean?
- Why'd they make me a Topper?
Because I told you
about Cooper and that girl?
I put it in my notes?
No, because of your numbers.
That girl's a junkie.
- She's not your problem.
- Isn't she?
Just because someone
doesn't love themselves enough
to look at the label on a Pop-Tart
and see that it's all sugar
or to use a drug as directed,
it doesn't make it our problem.
We can only worry about ourselves.
God, I look like my fucking mom!
Does that make us bad people?
Would a man ever question his own worth
after getting a fucking baller promotion?
- Probably not.
- No.
When men get promoted, they jizz all over,
like buckets of it.
Just because you're a woman
and want something
doesn't make you a bad person.
Fuck that.
You can do good in this world
and still make a ton of money,
and you can spend that money
on whatever you want.
You deserve it.
- Do you want the high thread count?
- The 401?
- The penthouse apartment?
- I do.
- Do you?
- I do!
We don't look back.
We only look forward.
- You look really good.
- Yeah, I know.
The people at the top
have never given a shit
about what's happening at the bottom.
And things at the bottom were bad.
Get your hand out of there, Nadine!
Where's Scoop?
Scoop!
- Kenny. Kenny's back!
- Get your card?
It's good.
Get in back with the rest of them.
Don't touch Nadine! She's in a mood.
- Hey, Dickerson.
- Yes, sir?
Kenny is a busy boy today. Busy boy.
Morning.
Sheriff Baker, Summers County.
I've arrested dealers, doctors, addicts
Drug dealers sending homeless drug addicts
into pain clinics to get Oxy prescriptions
and then driving them to pharmacies
to get them filled.
Some of these doctors
will give Oxy to anyone with a pulse.
Oh, Shaunette, what's good?
- Hey, Scoop.
- How you doing?
Scoop! Scoop, let's go!
- Let's go!
- I'll roll through later.
Come on! Hurry up!
Let me see.
Every drugstore in my county
has been robbed.
You can spot these kids,
green and yellow streaks
across their shirt.
This was a place where
all the kids would come and make out.
That's it, wrap it up, and let's move.
You see that powder?
This is your OxyContin.
They grind this up into a powder
and then they snort it.
12-hour hit, one dose.
- Good stuff.
- Amen.
We'll hit a couple today.
- Amen.
- Hop in.
That's what I'm talking about.
- Kenny, give me one of them 40s.
- One quick stop first.
OxyContin ain't nothing more than heroin.
I had a 32-year-old plumber strangled
at the Piggly Wiggly last Thursday
over three fucking pills.
It was a new dope economy
with all the chaos that came with it.
Better be good, man.
Dickerson, you seeing that?
- Yes, sheriff.
- Let's go get him.
Fuck.
Fuck!
This drug is permeating
every part of our community
from schools, hospitals
never mind the jails.
Get off my ass!
Heroin wrapped up in a pretty little pill.
The local cops couldn't handle it.
They didn't teach this shit
at the academy.
Goddamn Fuck!
I need multiple
ambulances here, 10th and Emerald.
Send as many vehicles as you have.
Sir, I'm telling you,
we're getting our asses kicked.
We need a new way.
We need help.
We need help.
I hear you.
I hear every one of you,
and my office
is taking this very seriously
and we will do something about this.
You have my word.
- Sir.
- What are your thoughts?
Sir, this ain't gonna stop
until these doctors
stop prescribing this drug.
Right.
And we can't stop someone
from doing something that's not illegal.
- You get me?
- Yeah.
- We got this.
- Okay.
There's a monster out there.
Let's cut its head off.
What laws are Purdue breaking?
List them for me.
I can't do my job without a crime, Edie.
I'll find the crime.
You ever prosecute a company
as big as Purdue Pharma?
- No.
- No one has.
- All due respect
- All due respect, I'm not stopping.
You can't take on
Those little Purdue Malibu Barbies
are doing the exact same thing.
They are doing the exact same thing
as every crack dealer
in every corner in America,
except they are getting rewarded for it,
getting made rich off of it.
My brother is in a prison cell
right now, rotting.
What is the difference?
They know they are killing people.
They know it.
They're out on the streets, and they know,
and they are getting their nails done.
My mother was turned into a vegetable
because of this.
Brain damage from smoking this shit.
I was the one who had to be with her.
I had to stay with her,
taking care of her until she died.
There was nobody but me.
And I am not stopping.
I'm sorry about your mother.
But if you want to get these guys,
you want to smash these motherfuckers,
then we gotta find a crime,
you understand?
You wanna take them down?
Find the crime.
"Police chase leads to van flipping
with 17 homeless
who were being used as OxyContin mules."
I can read.
A new drug
is sweeping the streets,
and users say the high
is the most powerful they've experienced.
The OxyContin is becoming
more popular than Ecstasy.
- "Six dead, multiple amputations."
- I can read.
In the 21 years
I've been a federal prosecutor,
I've never seen a drug problem like this.
A fast-spreading plague of addiction.
- An addiction so gripping
- So popular, so fast,
people have stolen the drug
from medicine cabinets.
"OxyContin,
an opioid as strong as heroin."
Yeah, I can read.
I'm reading the same article you are.
A Boston area nursing home
was robbed at gunpoint for OxyContin.
Illegal use of this synthetic
opiate is overwhelming law enforcement
- in a growing number of states.
- stealing OxyContin
OxyContin has created a surge
OxyContin abuse
has reached epidemic proportions.
This will not simply evaporate
into the news cycle,
Richard, this is real.
This problem is real.
Maybe.
"OxyContin mule"
is not an endearing phrase
you want to attached to our product.
No.
Attacking the problem
could be somewhat self-harming,
considering we are arguably the problem.
We're not the problem.
We're simply the supply.
Attack the demand.
Attack the lowlife abusers.
I'm seeking the assistance
of the healthcare community
in combating an increasingly
serious problem in Maine.
I'm referring to the abuse
and misuse of OxyContin.
People wanted answers
and the pressure was mounting on Purdue.
First attorney to pop
was Jay McCloskey of Maine.
He sent a letter to members of Congress
and 5,000 practicing physicians,
warning them about increasing problems
with OxyContin.
I believe OxyContin to be the biggest
criminal and social threat in Maine.
Turn it off.
- Now.
- So, what should the response be?
Press release.
Present as a responsible
corporate citizen.
Yes, I think we get in front of it.
Immediately.
- Offer some fixes, outreach, donations
- How much is that going to cost?
- Lobster-sucking hillbillies!
- Give them a few fixes
Let's buy AA!
- A responsible corporate citizen.
- Where do we cap this?
- in three months, it's all over.
- NA, Al-Anon.
- Who's drafting the press release?
- Okay, quiet! Quiet!
We should back law enforcement.
Howard, talk to McCloskey.
Tell him he has our full support.
It's time to hammer on the abusers.
Abuse is criminal.
- Simple as that.
- How will that solve anything?
These junkies are not victims,
they're victimizers.
Give them nothing and they will go away.
I like it.
I will not take a knee
to a fucking junkie.
Hammer. Hammer. Hammer
- Hammer those junkies!
- Hammer them boys.
Fucking junkies. Fuck.
- Some fucking junkies.
- Yeah.
Yeah.
- Where do you think we're going?
- The car.
Yeah, we're going to the car,
because we're gonna go to school.
Where were you?
I was honking, waiting for you guys.
In the car and then where are we going?
- Come on!
- That's what we're wearing?
I'll get back to you later.
Straight to jammy school.
Aha. You come up with that?
Yeah. No, I'm still on hold.
- Frank, end of day.
- Okay.
Picking it up.
Have you seen my reading glasses?
- No, but can you take her?
- Yeah.
Okay. No, we wanted the synthetic ones.
Psst.
Go to Daddy! Go to Daddy! Go!
- We're gonna get Daddy's glasses.
- I'm still here.
Get Daddy's glasses.
Yeah, how many pieces?
Yeah. Yeah, that works.
Okay, thank you.
- Hippo needs his glasses.
- No, he doesn't!
Where are they?
Okay, um, let's make sure.
- Hold on, we got to find Daddy's glasses.
- Daddy!
Watermelon fight?
I'll come to win.
You know what? You're going down.
Yes! Bye!
Where we going?
Where are you going?
- I'm gonna get some water.
- Will you grab my?
Party people
In the place to be ♪
- It's about that time ♪
- For us to ♪
Tony!
- Good to see you!
- My goodness!
- It's been so long.
- Look so beautiful.
- Thank you.
- So beautiful.
- Who's this?
- My new girl.
I'm Shannon Shaeffer.
- Do you like fast automobiles?
- I love them.
This is about as real
and as fast as it gets.
'98 black Carrera.
Handles real well and sounds real good.
Shannon, let me look at those eyes.
Those are some blue, blue eyes,
so there's really only one option
for Shannon Shaeffer.
How's that feel?
It feels good.
Looks good, feels good,
is good, Shannon Shaeffer.
She's all yours.
Do you want it?
- How bad?
- So bad!
So bad?
You make me feel so good ♪
What is happening?
Bad, bad, bad, bad boy ♪
Yours.
- What?
- It's yours!
- No.
- Yes.
This is what happens when you work hard.
- I live here?
- You live here.
By myself?
I love it so much.
Stop! This is the biggest TV
I've ever seen.
Look at how big it is!
Now we're jizzing!
One time you had it all
I ain't mad at y'all ♪
Now give me the catalog
I'll show you how Daddy bought ♪
What if I told you it's possible
to make a difference in this world?
And what if I told you,
you could make a lot of money doing it?
Who here has heard of OxyContin?
If you all are too chickenshit
to admit you know exactly what Oxy is,
how are you gonna sell it?
What's your name?
- Molly.
- Hi, Molly.
Molly here is ready
to make some big moves.
How about the rest of you? Chanel?
Do you like Porsches?
Mercedes? Do you like money?
There's a Ferrari.
- What kind of car?
- McClaren!
You got Mercedes,
Porsches, Maserati,
Tommy Hilfiger, Tom Ford, Saint Laurent.
You like coats?
Money's coming at your face!
Hello! Do you like money? Marc Jacobs?
You can make your dreams come true.
This man don't take any of that. Right?
- Absolutely, absolutely.
- All right.
We're back. We got a special guest.
- Who do we got?
- You got a Dr. D.
Right
Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
Are you okay?
Are you okay? Oh, look at me.
Look at me. Look at me.
Are you okay? What happened?
I don't know. It's The lift, it broke.
I don't know,
maybe I forgot to to lock it.
- We have to call insurance.
- What's the matter with you?
Look at me. What's wrong?
- Look at me.
- I forgot the latch. I can't!
You're believing what he's saying?
He's sneaking out in the night
and popping pills in his truck.
- The lift broke.
- You should pay attention.
- He's an addict.
- Hey, look at me.
Are you okay?
- What's wrong with you?
- The latch, it broke!
I don't know.
Maybe I forgot I forgot the latch.
- What are you talking about?
- Why are you playing dumb?
You know what he's doing! Look at him.
Look at him, he's not even there, okay?
- I've seen him.
- Get the fuck out of here.
- I've seen him in
- Just stop it!
I've seen him before work
and popping pills!
You're dropping cars off the lift?
Wait, wait, wait, you
- Wait, you saw him do that?
- Yes!
- Yes, that's what I'm trying to say.
- Then why didn't you say something?
What do you mean?
Why didn't you tell me the minute
that you saw him fucking do it?
It's not This isn't my fault.
Why didn't you tell me
the minute you knew?
- Fuck you, if you think this is my fault
- Hey! No! Fuck you!
He is addicted to pills and he is in pain,
because you were so fucking stupid
in the first place!
Get the fuck out of here!
It's your fault! Get out!
Get out!
Go!
- I forgot.
- Shut up.
I forgot.
Now, I'm gonna say this again,
because it's worth repeating.
Opioids don't just destroy the lives
of those who abuse them,
they destroy the lives
of everyone in their orbit.
What's going on? What is this?
I don't know. These protesters are crazy.
I think they're throwing something at me.
- We'll figure it out.
- It's crazy!
- It's all day long!
- Are you okay?
They're throwing stuff at my office!
We'll We'll help you. Okay?
- I'll figure this out.
- You put me in this position.
Just I Yeah, yeah, yeah.
We will, we will.
- What is Purdue gonna do?
- Liar!
Okay? Okay.
We don't cave.
Hammer on the abusers.
Carol Brewster and the media
have raised fear and concerns
based on misinformation.
Hammer on the abusers.
And while it is tragic,
the death of her daughter,
we do have additional information
about Ms. Brewster.
What's the plan, Shannon?
- It's ruining my life.
- Take a deep breath.
Her mom is on TV crying.
- Saying that I killed her daughter.
- Her daughter died.
- Of course she's crying.
- Her daughter was a junkie.
She can't look at herself and say,
"I messed up. My daughter was a druggie."
She needs to blame someone.
Right now, that's you.
You're the doctor.
You know what happened.
She's not a doctor. She's a sad mom.
- What am I supposed to do?
- I've got you.
You're part of my team.
You don't have to hide.
I I want to get you out there
in front of other doctors.
I think you're inspiring.
Your prescription volume is gold.
What's the fascination with money?
- Where does that come from?
- Do you not like it?
- What Where's your watch?
- I
All right. Yeah, yeah. I get it.
Purdue was gonna do whatever they had to
to protect their Golden Goose,
so they spun the narrative
of Oxy supporters.
They made it real clear
they're not the problem, it's the addicts.
As a physician, I am outraged
that people would abuse this medication.
Unfortunately, the abuse community
has also found out how to use it.
They're glorifying the addict
and the small number of people
The problem is not the abuse of OxyContin,
it's the abuse of drugs.
Hammer on the abusers.
But at this time, it is our understanding
that there were multiple drugs
in Ms. Brewster's system,
so it is unclear if this is related
specifically to OxyContin
or to Ms. Brewster's history of ongoing,
illegal drug abuse.
That's the end of the statement.
I will not be taking questions.
- Thank you.
- How dare you?
Did you know her daughter?
Yeah, I delivered her.
She was a good kid.
Every doctor I looked into
had been upping their Oxy prescriptions.
But then I found Dr. Gregory Fitzgibbons.
He'd only prescribed Oxy twice.
First time was for cancer.
Second time was for cancer.
This is every single article and letter
I sent to Purdue Pharma in 1998.
There's no question that our best,
strongest pain medicines are the opioids,
but these same drugs have a reputation
for causing addiction and terrible things.
Why do you think that is?
The rate of addiction
amongst pain patients
- Wait for it.
- is much less than one percent.
is much less than one percent.
Less than one percent?
That's a lie.
That's a real big lie.
Wait, but Purdue claims
that's from a study
in the New England Journal of Medicine.
- Yeah?
- Yeah
Less than 1% is a direct quote,
from a landmark study conducted
- by Drs. Porter and Jick
- Drs. Porter and Jick.
in the New England Journal of Medicine,
January 1980.
Oh, right.
Okay, hold on a second.
Lawyers, guns, and money.
January 1980.
There is your landmark study.
This isn't a report,
this is a letter to the editor.
Uh-huh.
This is the landmark study?
Uh-huh.
Well, it's not a report, it's
Our survey on short-term opioid use
in a controlled environment, a hospital.
It's not related to long-term,
unsupervised opioid use.
Dr. Jick, your letter
has become the founding gospel
in the pain management field.
Oh, get out of town!
It's all over Purdue's training materials.
No, no, no. I wrote this letter
to the editor 20 years ago.
How does the FDA allow them to get away
with misrepresenting my letter?
Good question.
My biggest issue
was with the language saying things like,
"is believed to reduce
the abuse liability of a drug."
- Is believed by who?
- Exactly.
- Yeah, I told them it sounds like BS.
- Then why approve it?
Well, I wasn't the medical officer
in charge of the application.
Who was?
- Curtis Wright.
- Curtis Wright.
- Curtis Wright.
- Curtis goddamn Wright.
He's incredibly persuasive.
Good morning, Dr. Wright!
I didn't realize
there'd be so many of you.
Oh, they're real good.
The pressure
was becoming relentless for Purdue,
but Richard Sackler and the Purdue
hype machine kept charging forward.
I've seen the revolution firsthand.
I have seen it at work,
allowing my patients
to manage their own pain
on a consistent basis.
And not just treatment for
or amelioration of diseases
or their symptoms
but a true path to freedom.
Thank you. Hey!
You, sir, are a natural!
- Oh, thank you!
- Cheers!
That's what we all want, right?
You show me what it is
to really believe in something.
- Oh, good!
- Yeah.
The fat speaking fee
makes me believe it even more.
Shut up.
Believe in OxyContin.
I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you.
Trust in OxyContin.
I got you something.
- You don't need to.
- You changed my life, I wanted to.
And prescribe the heck out of OxyContin!
- Oh, I don't
- You don't have to say anything.
I will see you all at the bar
for some drinks
courtesy of the great Richard Sackler.
Save some for me! Save some for me.
Nobody has to know.
I'm gonna take you up to my room
and fuck you.
Yes, baby!
- Could you please not?
- Could I please what?
Give you that? You've been wanting that.
Coming by my office at night.
A little OxyContin kick back?
Going to conferences
and wearing dresses like this.
- Sneaky girl!
- Yes!
juicy, fruity day, little missy.
On the outside, it was business as usual.
But inside Purdue,
the walls were caving in.
Because of the McCloskey letter,
we are being asked
to testify before Congress.
What does it mean, "we are being asked"?
It says a representative from the company.
It seems we are to decide.
No. No, not me.
Well, you are the president
of the company.
Uncle Arthur never kept a single company
in his own name for exactly this reason.
We'll put up a firewall
between the name and the product.
That's what he did
and that's what we'll do.
God!
We are
fucked! Fuck!
Oh, fuck! Fuck!
Mortimer!
It will be you three.
Me?
- Who, us?
- In front of Congress?
Medical, marketing, and legal.
You can handle anything
that comes your way.
Us?
You have a problem with that?
- No. No, no.
- We've got your back, sir.
- Fuck!
- We'll testify.
Mortimer!
Oh, okay!
Okay, great.
Tyler must have forgotten to call me.
I just wanted to make sure. Okay.
Yeah. Everything's great.
Thank you so much.
Take care. Bye.
Kaylee's down.
He's at Jack's.
Okay.
What do you mean, "Okay"?
Are you fucking asleep? It's not okay.
- I don't like when he's over there.
- There's worse places to be.
I told him it was his fault.
You know what? Let me go there,
talk some sense into him
and I'll bring him home.
Let me make this right.
It was my fault. I'm sorry.
I don't like you right now.
- I know.
- Okay.
You better get off of that shit.
- I know.
- I'm serious.
This is my fault. I'm gonna make it right.
It's okay. The sky is not falling yet.
See you soon.
Don't fight with Jack.
I won't. Love you.
Fuck.
Hey, Ty.
I've just come to bring you home.
- Hey, Tina.
- It's Tanya.
Glen, what do you want?
Hey, Jack, it's good to see you.
- I
- You two go inside.
I'm just coming to grab Ty,
he has to get his stuff.
Jesus fucking Christ.
This ain't happening.
This ain't happening. Not here, not now.
- Let's go. You gotta go.
- Hey.
Hey, I fucking see you, man.
You think you can hide this shit from me?
Get in the fucking truck.
Well, there was a misunderstanding
I know, because you're here high as fuck.
- Go.
- No, this morning.
- There was a misunderstanding.
- Get in the truck, now.
Enough. Get in the truck.
- Jack
- Just go home, Glen! Just go home.
- Ty, grab your stuff
- Get in the truck, Glen.
Wake the fuck up.
- Get in the fucking truck and drive home.
- Just go home!
- Okay.
- Just go home, clean up.
- Okay.
- Goddamn mess.
- You're a fucking embarrassment.
- I
Jack, I can't leave without him.
I told Lil I would bring him home.
Don't worry about Lil.
Worry about yourself.
Go the fuck home.
Go home, Glen.
I'm sorry I'm late, sir. God!
No. I just spent the last five minutes
talking my wife off of the ledge.
She got a call from the school.
My kid got beaten up today.
Three kids, they took him,
they cornered him
and beat the shit out of him.
And they crushed his, um
- The orbital bone?
- His orbital bone!
He could lose his eye.
My wife sent me a photograph.
Oh, God. These kids,
they said his father was a murderer.
That his father sold poison to people.
And now I have to testify.
You have schmutz.
Sir?
- On your lapel there's some schmutz.
- Schmutz?
Here, let me.
Stubborn.
Thank you, sir.
I thank the representatives
of Purdue Pharma for appearing.
Your drug brought relief to many.
Regrettably, it has also
brought with it many problems.
Instead of testifying,
he sent Michael Friedman, Howard Udell,
and Paul Goldenheim in front of Congress.
You may be seated.
Mr. Chairman, on behalf of Purdue Pharma,
the distributors of OxyContin tablets,
thank you for taking the time
to hold this hearing.
Today's testimony bears
on a significant question
of health policy:
how to address the problems
of abuse and diversion,
which accompany the sale
of a controlled drug like OxyContin,
without restricting its availability
to meet the needs of doctors and patients
for the effective management of pain.
Now, while every voice
in this debate is important,
we must be especially careful
to listen to the patients
who, without drugs like OxyContin,
would be left untreated.
- Fuck.
- There are many
You know, the body count has increased.
Mr. Hodges has talked to people
who have died of the overdose.
The community of Lee County
literally has been devastated by it.
Senator, we take prescription drug abuse
and the abuse of OxyContin very seriously.
OxyContin is not
the only drug being abused,
it is the drug of the day
in many communities
and we need to take that seriously. Yes.
Believe me, sir, we do.
While you take it seriously,
my question is
what is your responsibility
to deal with this problem?
Really working your girl, aren't you?
We are doing everything we can in terms
of proactivity, to move forward,
to stem the tide of this.
- This is a drug being abused.
- How we doing?
Smashing these little pussy motherfuckers?
Very few are abusing Tylenol.
Yeah, we're smashing
these little pussy motherfuckers.
Few, after taking Tylenol,
are robbing a nursing home in Boston.
We don't have control
over how the product is used.
- We put our trust in the FDA
- I think it's going quite well, don't you?
- Fuck me.
- in doctors,
and what we are dealing with here
is a group who have
another very serious medical problem,
an addiction disorder, an abuse disorder,
and they need treatment too.
They need treatment
as much as the pain patient.
You've reached Glen Kryger,
leave a message.
Can you call me back, please?
Let me get something straight.
You're telling me that
people who are addicted to your drug,
if you will, are addicted to other things?
We weren't hurting and killing people.
People were abusing our drug
Which is very safe.
- They were abusing it.
- You have Oxy?
- They were diverting it.
- Got the money?
We had nothing to do with that.
You've reached Glen Kryger,
leave a message.
Glen! Is Tyler with you?
Fucking answer me!
Like I said, we are in the business
of helping people who are in pain.
That is our business.
The availability of OxyContin
is critical for countless patients.
People are starting
to chop this up and snort it.
And we deeply regret
the tragic consequences
that have resulted
from the misuse of this medicine.
Hey, you've reached
Glen Kryger, leave a message.
Glen, what the fuck?
Are you fucking high right now?
Don't come back!
Fuck! Don't come back here, you fuck!
It was not until last year
when OxyContin press became so prevalent,
we learned that OxyContin, on occasion,
was being crushed and used intravenously.
Mr. Chairman, we didn't know about it.
We only heard about it
after it pulsed up in Maine.
After Jay McCloskey reported it.
- Before that time
- That's a lie.
we had no idea
that our product was being abused.
And I can prove it.
No, sir, Purdue had no prior knowledge
of what was happening up in Maine
or anywhere else in the United States.
There is a doctor here in Virginia
who's been writing to Purdue,
telling them about abuses years before
McCloskey ever even opened his mouth.
They just lied.
They just lied under oath to Congress.
None of us at Purdue Pharma are aware
or have been aware,
up until this very moment,
that there was abuse issues.
I'm not suggesting
OxyContin is not being abused.
- There's your crime.
- I am saying
- There's the crime.
- we were not aware until February 2000.
Mr. Udell, you understand
your testimony is under oath?
Yes, sir. That is correct.
We had them.
Oh, man, we had them so good.