Florida residents heard in Oxycontin case

ABINGDON, Va. -- A contingent of residents from Florida, all of whom had suffered because of the drug Oxycontin, traveled to a federal hearing today for pharmaceutical executives accused of illegally marketing the powerful painkiller.

At the hearing, the judge fined Purdue Pharma L.P., the maker of Oxycontin, and the three executives $634.5 million for misleading the public about its risk of addiction.

Among the local residents making the trip was Julie Rinaldi of Tampa, whose daughter Sarah, died at age 17 after an overdose of drugs including Oxycontin. Rinaldi got to testify at the hearing.

After hearing from those who had lost their loved ones to Oxycontin, or had seen their own lives derailed because they became addicted to the drug, the judge added probation to the fines for the executives. Rinaldi and others from Florida, who made up the largest contingent of residents at the hearing, said they were satisfied with the outcome.

Purdue Pharma, its top lawyer and former president and former chief medical officer pleaded guilty in May for claiming that OxyContin was less addictive and less subject to abuse than other pain medications.

Michael Friedman, who retired in June as Purdue's president, general counsel Howard Udell and former chief medical officer Paul Goldenheim each pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of misbranding the drug. Of the total fine, $34.5 million was levied on those three.

The judge placed the company on probation for five years and each of the executives on probation for three years. He also ordered the three to perform 400 hours of community service related to prevention of prescription drug abuse.

-- Abbie VanSickle, Times staff writer, with Associated Press reports

Comments

[karen banick]

These greedy creeps should be convicted of felony crime, not a meger misdemaenor! And better than fining thm a few million dollars, I think they ought to be given oxycontin long enough to get addicted like many pain patients have and then let them detox on the cememnt floor of a cell in a federal prison with no medical intervention... or better yet, give them medical intervention... a placebo that we can market as doing away with withdrawl symptoms.

[Dave]

Gee, I wonder why Rush Limabaugh didn't testify? ;)

[Nick]

It's ridiculous. The medication is a good medication that has helped countless patients. Sure, if you crush it up and bypass the time release coating it's much easier to get high and increases the addictive pottential, but to call the makers a "drug cartel" is idiotic. If that were the case, every maker of a narcotic based pain medication is in the same boat and I would like to see any of these jokers go without pain medication post-op.

[roxane ramsey]

gee i wonder what amount of this settlement goes to the persons affected by using this drug and what about the doctors prescribing this drug to people with rheumatic conditions who never should have gotten this medicine what about them do they have recourse to sue those mds on the take from purdue??? i want some answers dont you?

[roxane ramsey]

gee i wonder what amount of this settlement goes to the persons affected by using this drug and what about the doctors prescribing this drug to people with rheumatic conditions who never should have gotten this medicine what about them do they have recourse to sue those mds on the take from purdue??? i want some answers dont you?

[Oxycontin Side Effects]

My name is Kurt Fischer and i would like to show you my personal experience with Oxycontin.

I have taken for 2 years. I am 27 years old. I took percecet 10 mg 4 times a day and they helped but gave me massive mindgrains so I switched to oxycotin which I think is a better long term drug. Oxycontin doesnt have a coming down experience you stay feeling good the whole day. The only bad thing about it is getting off it, I just resestly got off it 3 days ago and had very bad withdrawl symptoms even with help of a "junkie" medication.

I hope this information will be useful to others,
Kurt Fischer