Congressmen want investigation of Purdue Pharma and other opioid makers

Two members of Congress from California, Democrat Reps. Ted Lieu and Mark DeSaulnier, are calling for a congressional investigation into manufacturers of opioid painkillers.

The Los Angeles Times reported one of their specific targets is Purdue Pharma, makers of OxyContin, after the newspaper’s investigation alleged it identified clinics and pharmacies suspected of trafficking the highly addictive drug but never alerted law enforcement and didn’t cut off the supply.

Lieu and DeSaulnier’s letter to the chairs of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said Congress needs to look into the matter “to fully understand the implications and consequences of pharmaceutical companies that do not fulfill their legal and ethical requirements to restrict the sale of opioids in circumstances that raise suspicion regarding inappropriate prescribing practices.”

In one example from the LA Times investigation, Purdue supposedly continued supplying a single doctor who, in just four months, had ordered 73,000 OxyContin pills, which has a street value of more than $6 million.

Purdue didn’t comment on the congressmen’s letter, but denied the allegations from the LA Times in July, saying there were several instances where it had alerted law enforcement agencies to suspicious activity.

“The LA Times wildly distorts the role that Purdue, a company representing two percent of opioid prescriptions, plays in policing the pharmaceutical supply chain,” the company’s statement said. “Contrary to the paper’s implications, we cannot simply order a wholesaler to stop shipping a product. However, we can and have reduced products shipped to a wholesaler if we have concerns about the pharmacy customer.”

The company has been resistant with cooperating with investigations in other states, however.

New Hampshire Attorney General Joseph Foster told WMUR in Manchester that Purdue hasn’t turned over documents his office requested months ago in a probe into how the company marketed OxyContin to physicians and clinics. He also said Purdue is fighting subpoenas related to the same kind of practices alleged in the LA Times investigation.

“The companies tell me they have absolutely nothing to hide. Why are they fighting so hard turning over their documents if that's the case?” Foster said to WMUR.