American Addict Page #2

BECAUSE THE ECONOMICS OF BOTH

THE ILLEGAL AND THE LEGAL DRUGS

ARE VERY INTEGRAL FROM A--

FROM A POLICY AND GOVERNANCE

STANDPOINT.

I'M PLEASE THAT ALL OF YOU

ARE HERE TO WITNESS THE GREATES ADVANCE IN HEALTH CARE COVERAGE

FOR AMERICA'S SENIORS SINCE

THE FOUNDING OF MEDICARE.

[ applause ]

THIS SOCIAL PHENOMENA IS NOW

GROWING WITH THE MISUSE OF

PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS.

EVERYBODY. INCLUDING THEIR

PARENTS. THEIR BROTHERS,

THEIR SISTERS. THEIR

GRANDPARENTS.

EVERYBODY'S POPPING PILLS.

I'M FEELING SHITTY NOW

MY PILLS ARE GONE

I DONE POPPED ALL MY VICODIN

THE OTHER DAY:

NOW THAT MY MEDS ARE DONE

I'M PARANOID

BUT I'MA GET HIGH

IN SOME OTHER WAY

I'MA GET HIGH

IN SOME OTHER WAY

I GOT TO GET HIGH

TO GET THROUGH THE DAY

I'MA GET HIGH

TO GET THROUGH THE DAY

I'MA GET HIGH

GET HIGH:

I'MA GET HIGH

GETTING IN IT NOW

PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE IS

RISING IN ALL CATEGORIES IN THE

UNITED STATES AND ALL AGE

GROUPS. BUT UNFORTUNATELY,

12- TO 17-YEARS OLDS ARE

THE FASTEST GROWING SEGMENT OF

EVERYBODY GROWING FASTER IN

TERMS OF DRUG ABUSE--

PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE.

THE STATE OF FLORIDA IS NOW

EXPERIENCING UP TO SEVEN

INDIVIDUALS A DAY DYING FROM THE

MISUSE AND THE ABUSE OF

PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS.

WE HAVE THREE TIMES AS MANY

PEOPLE DIE EVERY YEAR FROM

PRESCRIPTION PILLS VERSUS

HEROIN. COCAINE,

AND METHAMPHETAMINE COMBINED.

THEY STARTED GOING TO

PHYSICIANS' OFFICES.

THEY STARTED GETTING DRUGS FROM

"LEGITIMATE SOURCES."

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN. YOU CAN SEE

THE INFLUX IN PAIN MANAGEMEN CLINICS.

YOU CAN SEE THE INFLUX

IN LEGALIZED DRUG DEALING.

BROWARD. WHICH IS THE FOR LAUDERDALE AREA. IS THE

EPICENTER OF THIS PILL MILL

EPIDEMIC.

AND WHAT WE SAW WAS THAT IN THE

FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 2008.

67% OF THE OXYCODONE NATIONWIDE

THAT WAS PUT OUT BY DISPENSING

PRACTITIONERS CAME OUT OF

BROWARD COUNTY. FLORIDA.

THE ENTIRE MID-EASTERN QUADRAN OF THE U.S.. ALL THOSE STATES

HAD A PRESCRIPTION DRUG

MONITORING PROGRAM.

WELL. WHAT THAT DID IS STARTED

TO DRIVE DRUG SEEKERS--AND I'M

NOT GONNA USE THE TERM PATIENT.

IT DROVE DRUG SEEKERS FROM THOSE

STATES INTO THE STATE OF

FLORIDA.

PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE IS

RISING. BUT THE INNOCENT VICTIMS

ARE THE INFANTS BORN EXPOSED TO

OPIATES IN UTERO.

BROWARD COUNTY. FLORIDA,

HAS SEEN A QUADRUPLE INCREASE

AND MORE THAN HALF OF THE PEOPLE

TAKING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS ARE

WOMEN.

THEY'RE--OVER THE LAS SEVERAL YEARS THERE.

THERE'S BEEN NO REGULATION

WHATSOEVER IN TERMS OF PATIENTS

BEING ABLE TO GO TO DIFFEREN OFFICES AND GET PRESCRIPTION

PILLS. AND BECAUSE OF THAT,

YOU HAVE AN INFLUX OF PEOPLE

ACTUALLY COMING FROM OTHER

STATES TO GET THESE MEDICATIONS.

SO AS THE NUMBER OF ADULTS AND

WOMEN RISE TAKING THESE

PRESCRIPTION PILLS. IT'S NO

SURPRISE THAT THEY'RE HAVING

BABIES THAT ARE DEPENDENT ON

PAINKILLERS.

YEAH. THERE YOU GO,

OKAY. LOOK RIGHT THERE.

HE'S MAKING A BUY.

YEAH. HE'S MAKING THE BUY

WITH THE GUY IN THE BROWN.

HE'S GOT HIS MONEY IN HIS HAND.

HE'S SHOWING HIM SOMETHING.

THE DRUG DEALERS. WHEN THEY'RE

DEALING WITH PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.

GET THE INSURANCE COMPANIES.

MEDI-CAL OR MEDICAID.

THESE PROGRAMS PAY FOR THESE

DRUGS. AND THEN THEY'RE RESOLD.

IT STARTS WITH PEOPLE THAT WE

CALL CAPPERS THAT GENERALLY

DRIVE AROUND INDIGEN NEIGHBORHOODS. ANYWHERE WHERE

PEOPLE ARE RECEIVING GOVERNMEN BENEFITS. PRIMARILY MEDICARE.

THEY'RE USUALLY NEVER SEEN BY

A DOCTOR.

SOMEBODY IN THERE WILL WRITE

A PRESCRIPTION.

THEN THEY'LL PAY THAT PERSON TO

GO TO A PHARMACY AND FILL THA PRESCRIPTION. AND THEN THEY'LL

GIVE THOSE DRUGS BACK TO WHAT WE

CALL A CAPPER.

THEY WILL TAKE THOSE DRUGS TO

SOMEBODY THAT'S GENERALLY

INVOLVED IN ORGANIZED CRIME

HERE IN L.A.

THEY'LL TAKE THEM BACK TO RETAIL

PHARMACIES THAT THEY OWN.

THEY'LL TAKE THEM BACK TO WHA THEY CALL CLOSED-DOOR PHARMACIES

THAT THEY OWN. USE THAT AS PAR OF THEIR INVENTORY.

SO NOW THEY'RE ABLE TO BILL.

AGAIN. MEDICARE FOR PRESCRIBING

THESE DRUGS TO. SAY, AN ELDERLY

PATIENT IN A NURSING HOME.

THAT PERSON NEVER RECEIVES THOSE

DRUGS EVEN THOUGH THERE'S

A PAPER TRAIL AND A BILLING

TRAIL CREATED SO THEY CAN

CONTINUE BILLING.

THEN WHEN THOSE DRUGS EXPIRE.

THEY'RE GONNA PACKAGE THEM UP.

AND THEY'RE GONNA TAKE THEM TO

OUT OF STATE TO A WHOLESALE

REPACKAGING BUSINESS.

IF YOU AUTOMATE ALL THE

RECORDS IN THE STATE. ALL THE

CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE RECORDS.

AND A PHYSICIAN ACCESSES YOUR

FILE THROUGH THE PDMP. HE CAN

SEE WHATEVER PHYSICIANS YOU'VE

BEEN TO. WHAT QUANTITIES YOU'VE

BEEN PRESCRIBED.

AND IF HE'S CHECKING THE SYSTEM.

AND YOU'VE RECEIVED A CONTROLLED

SUBSTANCE FROM ANOTHER DOCTOR.

HE'S NOT GOING TO PRESCRIBE.

BECAUSE THAT'S A THREAT TO HIS

LICENSE.

THAT WOULD BE A LEGITIMATE

DOCTOR IDENTIFYING DRUG SEEKING

ACTIVITY.

SO OUR BILL. OUR ORIGINAL

BILL LAST YEAR WOULD'VE CHARGED

1/4 CENT PER PRESCRIPTION

DRUG--PILL. I SHOULD SAY--

TO GO INTO A FUND TO COLLEC A FEW MILLION DOLLARS SO THAT WE

COULD DEVELOP THE CAPACITY TO

GET EVERYONE WHO WRITES

PRESCRIPTIONS--175.000 PEOPLE

WHO ARE LEGALLY ABLE TO WRITE

PRESCRIPTIONS IN CALIFORNIA--

TO BE ELECTRONICALLY ON THIS

DATABASE.

SO IN REAL TIME. THE DEPARTMEN OF JUSTICE AND THE DOCTOR

PRESCRIBING THE DRUG CAN SEE

WHO'S PRESCRIBING WHAT DRUGS.

AND ON THE OTHER HAND. THE

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CAN SEE

THAT IF THERE ARE PHYSICIANS OR

ANYONE WHO'S ALLOWED TO WRITE

PRESCRIPTIONS ARE ABUSING I AND BASICALLY TAKING THE TRUS THE PUBLIC PUTS IN THEM AS

PHYSICIANS AND ABUSING IT BY

MAKING PROFIT MONEY BY SELLING

OPIATES. PAINKILLERS TO PEOPLE.

THEY FOUND A PRESCRIPTION

RECEIPT IN HIS CAR. AND I GUESS

THE CORONER CALLED THE DOCTOR

AND ASKED HIM. "WHAT DID YOU

GIVE THIS BOY?

WHAT DID YOU GIVE THIS BOY?"

THE DOCTOR SAID. "WELL, WHY?"

HE'S LIKE. "BECAUSE HE'S DEAD.

HE'S DEAD.

HE'S 25 YEARS OLD. AND HE'S

DEAD."

THEN HE TOLD HIM WHAT HE

PRESCRIBED TO HIM. AND IT WAS

THE ROXI--NO. OXYCONTIN.

IT'S--THE FORM OF IT WAS THE

KIND THAT DOES NOT--IT DOESN' TIME RELEASE OR SOMETHING LIKE

THAT.

IT'S JUST INSTANTANEOUS PAIN

RELIEF.

SO SYSTEMATICALLY FROM 2001

UP TO APPROXIMATELY 2009.

THE STATE OF FLORIDA FOUGHT FOR

A PDMP IN THE LEGISLATURE.

BILLS WERE INTRODUCED. AND I WAS FOUGHT DOWN EVERY YEAR.

PURDUE PHARMA ALSO STEPPED UP TO

THE PLATE AND MOST RECENTLY.

AS OF A WEEK AGO.

OFFERED $1 MILLION TO SUPPOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA IN A PDMP

PROGRAM AND TO PAY FOR THE PDMP

PROGRAM FOR THE STATE OF

FLORIDA.

AND THIS IS WHERE POLITICS COMES

INTO PLAY.

THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF

FLORIDA DECLINED AND DOES NO SEE FIT THAT A PDMP BE

IMPLEMENTED WITHIN THE STATE OF

FLORIDA.

HE CITES THAT IT'S A VIOLATION

OF PRIVACY.

I MET WITH THE PHARMACEUTICAL

INDUSTRY.

I WAS RIGHT UPFRONT WITH THEM.

I TOLD THEM. "THIS IS WHAT I

WANT TO DO.

IT SEEMS TO ME IT'S IN YOUR BES INTEREST TO HELP US DO THIS.

IT'S NOT IN YOUR BEST INTERES TO READ ABOUT PEOPLE DYING FROM

ABUSE OF YOUR LEGAL PRODUCT."

AND WE HAD SOME GOOD MEETINGS.

BUT WHEN THE BILL ACTUALLY WEN TO COMMITTEE AND. OBVIOUSLY,

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