OxyContin is one of the best selling prescription pain medication on the market today. Due to the drug’s extended release capabilities, it offers patients up to 12 hours of pain relief with just one pill. However, this same attribute makes it a favorite among those looking for a quick and easy high. In fact, so many people have become addicted to the drug that the State of Kentucky brought a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the drug, Purdue Pharmaceuticals.
According to a report by Insurance Journal, the lawsuit was filed in a small, rural Kentucky courthouse where many of the residents have been, or know people who have been, addicted to the drug. The claim alleges that the manufacturer misled doctors and pharmacists into believing that the drug was a less addictive and equally effective alternative to other pain medications. However, recent research has proven those assertions to be patently false.
Kentucky, West Virginia, and Tennessee are three of the top five states for use of prescription pain medication, and Purdue Pharmaceuticals is claiming that they will not be able to receive a fair trial in Kentucky as a result. However, in a series of preliminary decisions, the presiding judge seems likely to require Purdue to take the case to trial in the rural Kentucky town.