The Need for Big Pharma Reform: How the Industry Can Improve in the Wake of the Opioid Crisis

Healthcare reform continues to be a topic of discussion throughout the country. Multiple attacks on health benefits, Medicaid & Medicare, and other health-related entities continue to pop up seemingly every day. Bills to help ease the burden on patients as well as keep companies more accountable fail to go anywhere as party lines remain divided. With the opioid crisis going on, one thing that hasn’t gotten enough press is one health-focused initiative has united over 450 municipalities across the country.

Cities, states, and counties have filed lawsuits against 23 drug companies and distributors for the roles they’ve played in the ongoing opioid epidemic. The crisis claims over 100 lives per day due to opioid overdoses, and it shows no signs of slowing down. In 2015, there were enough opioid painkillers prescribed to treat every American continuously for three weeks.

These lawsuits will likely be the court cases to watch this year, and many suits specifically call out OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma. Ohio’s lawsuit, for example, blames the company for trivializing “the risks of opioids while overstating the benefits of them for chronic pain.” Johnson & Johnson, Teva Pharmaceuticals and distributors including CVS and Walgreens have also been assigned blame.

As we watch the pharmaceutical industry come under fire for its involvement, it’s hard not to wonder how other Big Pharma practices could potentially lead to more crises down the road. As states’ efforts to combat the epidemic get underway, let us consider the areas of the industry that prioritize profits over patients in the hopes of encouraging future reforms.

First and foremost, it’s time to bring clinical trial issues into the limelight. Drug companies can misrepresent their drug’s clinical trial evidence in order to see it brought to market. Although this may be seen as a win for innovation, it often puts patients at risk.

Take Purdue Pharma’s clinical trial for the powerful opioid OxyContin. Evidence from the trials contradicted the pharmaceutical giant’s marketing claims that the drug could provide 12 hours of relief. Patients in the studies were actually unable to manage their pain for that length of time under the recommended dosage, and doctors filed complaints after the drug’s debut in 1996.

But, Purdue was dependent on this 12-hour relief because it allowed the company to have a competitive advantage over other options on the market. The manufacturer continued to stand by its marketing claims, blaming any wear-off of relief on too low of a dosage. The CDC warns that higher doses, which Purdue encouraged, could lead to increased risks when taking the drug, such as dependency and addiction. And so the epidemic began.

This misrepresentation of a drug’s clinical trial data isn’t just tied to the opioid crisis. It extends into common and often life-saving medications as well. In the case of newer anticoagulant Xarelto, manufacturers Johnson & Johnson and Bayer withheld data from its industry-funded clinical trial that would have implicated the blood thinner as less safe than more traditional options.

In the face of misleading evidence, the medication was approved in 2011 without an antidote to reverse its blood-thinning effects. The veil of supposed patient safety was lifted when thousands of individuals suffered internal bleeding complications and even death after being prescribed Xarelto. Similar to Purdue being blamed for its involvement in the opioid crisis, Johnson & Johnson and Bayer are embroiled in lawsuits because of Xarelto’s dangerous side effects.

Perhaps the most disconcerting is the amount of money Big Pharma pumps into its lobbying efforts. The pharmaceutical/health industry saw a 12.4% increase in its lobbying spend from 2016 to 2017, and the industry as a whole spends the most out of any other business sector. Although lobbying is a legal activity meant to serve as a means for citizens to have their concerns addressed to members of Congress, these high monetary donations can often sway lawmakers and influence policies to allow drug companies to stay focused on their profit margins.

Again, the opioid crisis serves as the backdrop for why Big Pharma should make reforms. Multiple states have attempted to pass laws that would limit opioid prescribing habits, but these efforts have been met with severe pushback from drug companies. The Pain Care Forum, funded by the industry, spent upwards of $740 million over the past decade to lobby against these laws aimed at halting the crisis. It’s evident that Big Pharma’s deep pockets and profit-focused mentality influence more than just the medications we’re being offered. It can have a direct impact on the very extent of our healthcare.

It will take many efforts on multiple fronts to bring about an end to the opioid epidemic, but thankfully these efforts are now underway. For one, the overdose antidote naloxone has become more widely available and discussions of pain management approaches, especially for those who suffer from chronic pain, are finally taking place. But, the greatest approach we can and should consider is reforming the very industry that is supposed to be an advocate for our health.

Only then will we stand a chance of making real progress in the name of healthcare.

Morgan Statt is a health & safety investigator who spends her time writing on trending news, consumer health, and public safety topics. When she isn’t researching, she can be found crafting Spotify playlists for every life situation. Follow her on Twitter @morganstatt.