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Doctor Gets 4 Years in Prison for Insys Opioid Kickbacks

fortune.com

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Re: Doctor Gets 4 Years in Prison for Insys Opioid Kickbacks

#81

Post by rdtsc »

anonymous5133 wrote: post #10

FYI, there is a new episode on american greed which pretty much shows how these type of operations worked. Insys basically gave the kickbacks by having the doctors give "speeches" but it turns out no speeches were given and the doctors got the checks anyways. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2WBKkyFpRo

> it turns out no speeches were given and the doctors got the checks anyways.

True, but it's not like if they did, the situation would be that much better. In a way for them they screwed up because the actually didn't bother playing the bribery sham all the way through like say political candidates do. For example, Hillary Clinton made $3M from speeches to large banks in just 2 years: https://theintercept.com/2016/01/08/hillary-clinton-earned-m... but they were actually organized enough to have "speechs". I remember the transcript of one was leaked, and you'd think they'd be some really deep insights and strategy laid out for the future that's worth $600k. But it was mostly "you all great, thanks for creating jobs etc etc". It is legal of course, but everyone know what it really is.

Re: Doctor Gets 4 Years in Prison for Insys Opioid Kickbacks

#82

Post by ransom1538 »

freedomben wrote: post #79
ransom1538 wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes! 'Pain Management' would be a high subscriber. But being the top 5 in the US? Maybe, but that is pretty strange - definitely worth a DEA trip. 'Family Medicine' in the top 40? Hm....

"A DEA trip" is not a small thing. It's a terrifying thing. It can be the end of your livelihood if you're a doctor, even if you've done nothing wrong. There is no shortage of stories about that happening (and what about the hundreds of patients who are suddenly left stranded with debilitating chronic pain?)[1]. I wouldn't call for you to have an "IRS trip" or some other jack-booted government agency, nor do I think…

Really? A Dentist recommends 16311.0 opioids during an epidemic and someone shouldn't at least check receipts? I don't think people should loose livelihoods, but, let's at least look at an excel sheet right? Check out the office make sure people are not piled into the streets waiting for drugs?

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/02/rise-and-fall-o...

Re: Doctor Gets 4 Years in Prison for Insys Opioid Kickbacks

#83

Post by 6t6t6t6 »

astura wrote: post #8
efini wrote: post #5

Will Trump support the execution of this man and other legal drug dealers like him as well?

This is getting down voted but I don't think that's fair, it's not off topic. Trump said yesterday he's in favor of the death penalty for drug dealers because they are responsible for the death of others. It's a fair question to ask if there should be a distinction between street dealers and these doctors and executives.

Trump would be able to become friends with the president of Philippines Rodrigo Duterte!

Re: Doctor Gets 4 Years in Prison for Insys Opioid Kickbacks

#84

Post by ggg9990 »

ransom1538 wrote: post #65

As a side project I sorted the doctors based on opioid prescribe count. It isn't hard to see who the pill shops are -- I am sure the DEA can do a sql command. IMHO they (DEA) prefers kicking down doors in poor areas. https://www.opendoctor.io/opioid/highest/?hn=1 From article, John Couch and Xiulu Ruan are on top of the list.

A doctor who specializes in pain management for late stage cancer patients will prescribe thousands of times more opiates than a family doctor. More context is needed

Re: Doctor Gets 4 Years in Prison for Insys Opioid Kickbacks

#85

Post by ggg9990 »

rdtsc wrote: post #81
anonymous5133 wrote: post #10

FYI, there is a new episode on american greed which pretty much shows how these type of operations worked. Insys basically gave the kickbacks by having the doctors give "speeches" but it turns out no speeches were given and the doctors got the checks anyways. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2WBKkyFpRo

> it turns out no speeches were given and the doctors got the checks anyways. True, but it's not like if they did, the situation would be that much better. In a way for them they screwed up because the actually didn't bother playing the bribery sham all the way through like say political candidates do. For example, Hillary Clinton made $3M from speeches to large banks in just 2 years: https://theintercept.com/2016/01…

It’s not clear what it really is. People pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to Hollywood celebrities for appearances too, with no expectations of political favors.

Re: Doctor Gets 4 Years in Prison for Insys Opioid Kickbacks

#86

Post by ransom1538 »

ggg9990 wrote: post #84
ransom1538 wrote: post #65

As a side project I sorted the doctors based on opioid prescribe count. It isn't hard to see who the pill shops are -- I am sure the DEA can do a sql command. IMHO they (DEA) prefers kicking down doors in poor areas. https://www.opendoctor.io/opioid/highest/?hn=1 From article, John Couch and Xiulu Ruan are on top of the list.

A doctor who specializes in pain management for late stage cancer patients will prescribe thousands of times more opiates than a family doctor. More context is needed

Agreed, however, I think if you are the top prescriber of opioids in the US, we should at least check receipts.

Re: Doctor Gets 4 Years in Prison for Insys Opioid Kickbacks

#89

Post by freedomben »

ajmurmann wrote: post #77
namelost wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Street dealers, "low level" or not, do actually kill their clients. Prison sentences for dealing hard drugs should be in line with prison sentences for murder, otherwise the implication is that the lives of drug users are much less valuable than the lives of regular people.

If I buy drugs from a street dealer I know what I'm getting into. If I get prescribed opioids from a supposedly trained professional whom I'm supposed to be able to trust I don't. So as far as I'm concerned adults should be allowed to take whatever drugs they want. However, it should be illegal to bullshit them into taking them. Especially as a medical professional.

Don't worry, we've so over-corrected this thing as a society due to our knee-jerk emotional reactions and mob mentality, you won't be getting any opioids prescribed.

Fourth stage cancer patients are now having a hard time getting them. Chronic pain patients that have been stable for decades are being heartlessly dropped by doctors that now fear the DEA. We are turning our backs as a society on the most vulnerable among us.

Re: Doctor Gets 4 Years in Prison for Insys Opioid Kickbacks

#90

Post by wallace_f »

omgPhysics wrote: post #67

"Rosenberg’s son was an Insys sales representative for a year and made “substantial commissions” from his father’s willingness to prescribe the drug, according to prosecutors. The son wasn’t charged in the case." A not-so-bright outlook for actually holding Insys's CEO responsible. Why were charges not brought on middle level employees especially if the father-son relationship could be an easy access route to bribery…

I have this entirely unscientifically-gathered impression that could be erroneous, but it certainly appears there is not just a divide in justice between rich and poor, but also across professions. Someone on Mars would swear there is an unwritten law in the US that doctors be held to higher standards than average. And some are held to lower standards, such as police officers.

Perhaps this isn't true, but it certainly seems like it based on the events I've come across in my life, and in the news.

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