As a result of hard facts, ProPublica, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and a professional organization known as Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP) were hugely responsible for a Senate investigation of pharma’s ties to pain foundations. The investigation was announced the beginning of this month — coincidentally as the American Pain Foundation announced it was closing its doors. Here are the names of the members of the Senate Finance Committee who will be investigating the pharmaceutical company ties to these financially fed pain foundations:
Members of Senate Finance Committee

Baucus, Max (MT), Chairman
Rockefeller, John D. (WV)
Conrad, Kent (ND)
Bingaman, Jeff (NM)
Kerry, John F. (MA)
Wyden, Ron (OR)
Schumer, Charles E. (NY)
Stabenow, Debbie (MI)
Cantwell, Maria (WA)
Nelson, Bill (FL)
Menendez, Robert (NJ)
Carper, Thomas R. (DE)
Cardin, Benjamin L. (MD)
Hatch, Orrin G. (UT), Ranking Member
Grassley, Chuck (IA)
Snowe, Olympia J. (ME)
Kyl, Jon (AZ)
Crapo, Mike (ID)
Roberts, Pat (KS)
Enzi, Michael B. (WY)
Cornyn, John (TX)
Coburn, Tom (OK)
Thune, John (SD)
Burr, Richard (NC)

In July 2007, I appeared before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to testify against Purdue Pharma after they pleaded guilty to misleading physicians and patients about the dangers of OxyContin. One of the senators I appeared in front of was Tom Coburn of Oklahoma who now serves on the Finance Committee investigating Purdue Pharma and the American Pain Foundation. After my testimony was given, Senator Coburn defended Purdue Pharma to Senate members. At the end of the session, Senator Coburn came over to me to shake my hand.

As I shook his hand, I told him that he should be ashamed of himself for defending a company responsible for such devastation in lives. He did not reply, but walked away. Last I saw, Oklahoma leads the country in prescription drug deaths and addictions — and OxyContin being the leader of the pack in prescription drugs. Hopefully Senator Coburn will not be in “defending” mode of pharma in the Senate’s investigation of Purdue Pharma and other pharmaceutical companies as well as the American Pain Foundation and paid physician consultants in their pushing of opioids.

In a letter dated May 8, 2012 to John H. Stewart, President and Chief Executive Officer of Purdue Pharma, the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance directed that “In cooperating with the Committee’s review, no documents, records, data, or other information related to these matters, either directly or indirectly, shall be destroyed, modified, removed or otherwise made inaccessible to the Committee.” What the Senate may not be aware of is that Purdue Pharma has an ingenious patent that destroys emails and documents. A virus in the form of a Trojan horse is attached to files. It is a self-destruction document or email messaging system that automatically destroys documents or email messages at a predetermined time by attaching a “virus” to the document or email message. The virus contains a portion of executable code or an executable program which instructs the computer to overwrite and/or delete the file to which the virus is attached at a desired time. Since the virus is attached to the file, it will travel with the file even when the file is copied, forwarded, or saved to disks or tape drives. Right out of Mission Impossible — but why add the extra feature of a virus? What could Purdue Pharma be trying to hide?

I wonder if the Senate will find it interesting that not only was Udell general counsel of Purdue Pharma, but also an “inventor.” Udell pleaded guilty to misleading physicians and patients about the dangers of OxyContin. So when Purdue Pharma faces the deadline of June 8 to produce the documents and information the Senate Finance Committee has demanded, will they reply “Wish we could have complied, but you see we have this patent — and all that information was eaten by a worm. Did we do something wrong — again?”

Here is the patent information with Purdue Pharma’s General Counsel, Howard Udell’s name on it. Inventors:

Udell, Howard R. (US)
Baker, Stuart D. (US)
Kappel, Cary S. (US)
Sherman, Greg M. (US)
Ries, William (US)
Application Number:
EP19980934143
Publication Date:
05/17/2000
Filing Date:
06/16/1998 And this off a pharmaceutical blog about their employer, Purdue Pharma being investigated by the Senate — “This is great news! Please remember to include those dinners. I remember in Dallas having $150 glasses of port! Not $150 for a bottle, $150 for a glass. The docs, as well as field and Home Office, enjoyed! So review the expense reports for a clear picture of what we paid these guys to pimp our products.”
- Anonymous My hope is that the Senate too “enjoys” what is uncovered in their investigation.

One physician being investigated by the U.S. Senate is Scott M. Fishman, MD author of a book entitled “Responsible Opioid Prescribing: A Physician’s Guide” distributed by the Federation of State Medical Boards as a guide to physicians in pushing opioids for all levels of pain. In a recent statement, Dr. Fishman said he was not paid for his work on the book and does not receive royalties. He acknowledged that when the first edition of the book was written in 2006, the science on the effectiveness of opioids “was not robust” and data on the severe risks “had yet to emerge.” Since then, new data on risks, including unintended overdose deaths, have emerged, he said.

The new risk information will be included in an expanded version of the book that will be published by the spring, he stated. Since every state in the country was dealing with OxyContin deaths, addictions and abuse well before Dr. Fishman wrote his guidebook minimizing the risks of prescribing opioids to patients by physicians, the good doctor’s defense statement is a difficult pill to swallow. To quote Mark Twain: “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”
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Global News Centre’s Marianne Skolek, is an Investigative Reporter who focuses on the Prescription Opioid/Heroin Epidemic in the U.S. and Canada. In particular, Marianne has covered the criminal marketing of OxyContin going back to 1999 and continuing to the present.

In 2002, Marianne lost her daughter, Jill to prescribed OxyContin which her physician referred to as “mobility in a bottle.” It was, in fact, death in a bottle. After doing extensive research on the maker of OxyContin, Purdue Pharma, Marianne began working with the Department of Justice in Virginia in their criminal investigation into Purdue Pharma and in July 2007 was asked by the U.S. Attorney John Brownlee prosecuting the case to testify against the three CEO’s of Purdue Pharma, Michael Friedman, Paul Goldenheim, MD and Howard Udell, Chief Counsel. The CEO’s pleaded guilty to misleading the medical profession about the dangers of OxyContin. Marianne also testified against Purdue Pharma at a Judiciary Hearing of the U.S. Senate in July 2007.

In addition, a dangerous and highly addictive opioid named Zohydro has been approved by the FDA against their Advisory Committee’s advice and Marianne continues to alert Attorneys General, Senators and Congressmen as to the FDA’s irresponsibility in the out of control prescription opioid/heroin epidemic killing and addicting in the tens of thousands each year. Zohydro has been referred to as “heroin in a capsule” and its lowest dosage (10mg) contains twice as much hydrocodone as found in a Vicodin pill. The highest single dose of Zohydro contains as much hydrocodone as 5 to 10 tablets of Vicodin or Lortab. Zohydro mixed with alcohol can be fatal and has no abuse deterrent built in which will make it easy to crush and deliver a fatal dose of the opioid.

Currently Marianne has been instrumental in calling for the termination of Margaret Hamburg, MD, Commissioner of the FDA as well as Bob A. Rappaport, MD and Douglas Throckmorton, MD for their lack of commitment to safeguarding the American public against the prescription opioid/heroin epidemic. Marianne’s research, writing and contact with government agencies and attorneys has also exposed the heavily funded pain foundations set up by the pharmaceutical industry and their paid physician spokespersons who convinced the medical boards in 50 states and Canada that dangerous opioids such as OxyContin were less likely to be addictive. These physicians — in particular Scott Fishman, MD, J. David Haddox, DDS, MD, Perry Fine, MD, Lynn R. Webster, MD, Russell Portenoy, MD also downplayed the risks of addictive opioids in books as authors. These books are still available for sale and promoted to the medical profession.

Here are links to Marianne’s involvement in exposing the national conspiracy of the prescription opioid/heroin epidemic, the FDA, the pharmaceutical industry, their pain foundations and paid physician spokespersons.

http://www.salem-news.com/by_author.php?reporter=Marianne%20Skolek

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmPG1VjD61U&list=UUWoHUEr4ZAbQOfIqtOArjgg&index=6&feature=plcp

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=855537227796352&set=vb.658186307531446&type=2&theater