Doctor Gets 4 Years in Prison for Insys Opioid Kickbacks • Hacker News Board

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

#91

Post by ajmurmann » Mon, Mar 12, 2018, 4:40 AM UTC

freedomben wrote: post #89

ajmurmann wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 amo…

Oy! What I really want is all drugs to be legal and people being properly educated about them. Starting in school.

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

#92

Post by pmorici » Mon, Mar 12, 2018, 4:42 AM UTC

ransom1538 wrote: post #70

chime wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As bad as pill mills are, wouldn't 'Pain Management' clinics rate high in this query since they give out pills to manage legitimate pain? I have multiple herniated cervical disks and am going in for surgery soon because the pain is debilitating and unbearable. Among other specialists, I saw a pain management doctor to understand my non-surgical options. Many people with my condition choose to not get implants or disk…

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....

In a sorted list someone has to be on top.

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

#93

Post by freedomben » Mon, Mar 12, 2018, 5:11 AM UTC

ajmurmann wrote: post #91

freedomben wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 amo…

Oy! What I really want is all drugs to be legal and people being properly educated about them. Starting in school.

Totally agree. After decades of drug wars and putting people in cages, I think it's time to admit prohibition doesn't work (I thought we learned that in the 1920s, but I guess not). I tend to believe that education is the answer. I'd love to see us give that a try.

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

#94

Post by vostok » Mon, Mar 12, 2018, 5:13 AM UTC

ggg9990 wrote: post #85

rdtsc wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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.

If I was organizing a speech and had a budget of a few hundred thousand then Hillary Clinton would be near the top of my list.

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

#95

Post by tylersmith » Mon, Mar 12, 2018, 5:19 AM UTC

chime wrote: post #68

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.

As bad as pill mills are, wouldn't 'Pain Management' clinics rate high in this query since they give out pills to manage legitimate pain? I have multiple herniated cervical disks and am going in for surgery soon because the pain is debilitating and unbearable. Among other specialists, I saw a pain management doctor to understand my non-surgical options. Many people with my condition choose to not get implants or disk…

I hope you at least tried steroidal epidurals. I had 2 fully herniated lumbar disks and was unable to even get off the floor for 6 months but I've gotten mostly back on feet without surgery.

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

#96

Post by xor1 » Mon, Mar 12, 2018, 5:37 AM UTC

ggg9990 wrote: post #85

rdtsc wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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.

Are those appearances private?

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

#97

Post by disillusioned » Mon, Mar 12, 2018, 5:41 AM UTC

xor1 wrote: post #96

ggg9990 wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Are those appearances private?

I mean, I'm in EO and our chapter spends about $150k/year on appearances from popular speakers. We're not buying influence or lobbying, and they're private appearances, yes. They're on a variety of topics from a variety of people that the organization thinks we'll find valuable, and the market has set a pretty steep price for some of the better speakers. /shrug

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

#98

Post by janekm » Mon, Mar 12, 2018, 5:59 AM UTC

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…

How amateur-hour. Now the pros are in the white-house, you'd better pony up a cool few hundred million in "loans" for a meeting with Jared ;)

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

#99

Post by KMag » Mon, Mar 12, 2018, 6:03 AM UTC

overcast wrote: post #63

dmoy wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Alan Reynolds' book "Income and Wealth". I mean doctors in particular, but other high income earners in professional areas as well.

Football players for one.

Don't forget parachute pants enthusiasts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MC_Hammer#Bankruptcy,_lawsuits...

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

#100

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Mar 12, 2018, 6:08 AM UTC

scurvy wrote: post #60

toomuchtodo wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Addiction is not voluntary.

Addiction is a possible effect of willingly taking drugs (as the person before you was stating). I'm not saying that people don't have demons and everyone has their own way of coping, but you need to take drugs to be addicted. That first step is taken willfully.

[deleted]