01x06 - Hammer the Abusers

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "Dopesick". Aired: October 13, 2021 - present.*
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American drama miniseries created by Danny Strong based on the nonfiction book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy.
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01x06 - Hammer the Abusers

Post by bunniefuu »

Your story shows

that the highest levels
of the company

knew exactly how dangerous
the drug was.

Okay, I'll testify.

Please, I just need some Oxy.

She's relapsing
from the stress.

She can't testify.

No! No, Dad, please!

‐...destroyed our damn family!

Please, Dad!
Get your hands off of me!

A shares have a majority

and Richard Sackler
is now named

president of Purdue Pharma.

Dr. Finnix, is this yours?
You're under arrest.

How long you here for?

90 days.

You think you can
get me some pills?

What's your next move?
Go back to the FDA

to make another set of demands

to restrict access
to this drug.

Can you think about
how what you're doing

might be affecting me?

No, I can't. I'm sorry.

This is how I grew up, Lucas.

Watching my friends
die from dr*gs.

If you continue on this path,

you're going to end up
just like them.

♪ ♪

Hughes. Mark Hughes.

Corvelli, Josh.

My name is Jay McCloskey.

I am the U.S. Attorney
for the State of Maine.

I am here today because
rampant drug abuse

has infiltrated
our great state.

Dr. Richard?

Sorry to disturb you at lunch,
but there's an urgent issue.

An 80 mg tablet of OxyContin

sells on the street for $100.

This diversion has created a
domino effect of related crime.

As U.S. Attorney,
I will be sending letters

to doctors across our state

to alert them to
the grave dangers of OxyContin.

Any questions?

It says that OxyContin

is becoming the most
serious criminal problem‐‐

Yes, I know how to read.

How many of these letters
were sent?

He sent one
to every single doctor

in the entire state of Maine.

I remember the day

that I first decided
to get clean.

Me and my buddy Josh, we had
this drug test coming up, um,

which is not great news
for two addicts, you know.

So we ran to our dealer
and we're like,

"Hey, man,
you know, what can we do?"

And he tells us,

"If you drink bleach
on the day of your test,

it cleans your blood."

So, the day of the test
comes around,

and we're in the back
of the car,

and we got this industrial
strength container of bleach,

and we drink.

Except the bleach f*cking
burns like hell going down,

so immediately I'm gagging,
You know, I spit it everywhere.

But Josh, man‐‐f*cking Josh,
he‐‐he downs it.

Uh, the day Josh d*ed

is the day I knew
I needed to get clean.

Uh, a year ago today, actually.

Um, I've been to rehab
three times now, but,

God, I finally feel like

it's starting to make sense,
you know?

My third time was when it
really started to make sense.

Thanks, Dirk.
It takes a lot of guts

to admit that your life
has become unmanageable.

And we got your back.

Thank you.

Samuel.

It's your turn.

Would you like to share
anything today?

Oh, uh,

no, no.

Maybe tomorrow.

Yeah.

Ian.

We haven't heard from you yet.

Hey.
Hey, man. What's up?

I was thinking
about what y'all

were talking about out there.

H‐‐how many times
have y'all been to rehab?

This is my, uh, fourth time.

Fifth for me.

All of it here?
Same place?

Nah, I've been
to three other centers.

I like this one the best.

Mm‐hmm.
Yeah, me too.

I'm just‐‐I'm just worried,
you know?

Worried maybe it doesn't work.

Hey, Samuel, this place
was amazing for my cousin.

He hasn't had a drink
in nine years.

Look, man, it's either here,
jail, or the morgue.

Yeah.

Paul:
I feel ignored sometimes.

It's, uh, not easy

being with someone who's never

really present with you.

I feel bad. I‐‐

it's just‐‐it's hard for me to

talk about things
that are not work‐related.

Yeah, she's obsessed
with work.

I'm not obsessed with work.
You are.

I'm just trying to prevent
mass deaths from occurring

across the country.
I can't really compete with

mass deaths
across the country.

I'm not asking you
to compete with that.

I'm just asking you
to understand that

I can't just turn that off.

But you may be causing
the death of your marriage.

Do you see
Paul's point of view?

I don't want that. I‐‐

I'm really trying.

I'm right here.
I'm right here.

I want this to work out.
I do too.

Hello, everyone.

I truly appreciate you all
meeting with me again.

I, um,

I know our last interaction
was less than ideal.

But my therapist says

it's never too late
to apologize.

Well, sounds like you have
a terrific therapist.

So I have brought
numerous articles

from major publications
about the dangers of OxyContin

that has put Purdue
on the defensive.

Public pressure is building.

I have also seen several
articles about DEA overreach.

Yeah, well, those stories
were planted by Purdue.

Deputy Director Meyer,

are you aware that
there are millions of people

who swear by this medication?

There are just as many lives
that are being destroyed by it.

And I'm not just talking
about the ones who have d*ed,

but the lives that they touch.

Their friends, their family.

Communities are being ravaged
by crime over this drug.

Marriages and friendships
have ended

because of a pill
that, in some instances,

neither person
has ever even taken.

The FDA's position
on OxyContin

is that it is safe
when used as directed.

But we would take action
against it

if the drug was shown to be
unsafe when used as prescribed.

But determining the safety
of the drug is the FDA's job.

And we have already
carried out our job

during the approval process.
Well, what if you were wrong?

Bridget.
It's possible.

The FDA would admit
we were wrong,

if that was proven
to be the case.

So if I were to prove
that OxyContin is dangerous

when taken as prescribed,
then the FDA would act?

Absolutely. We don't want
anyone to get hurt.

But we need proof that
the drug itself is defective

if we are going
to take a drastic

and restrictive action
against any drug,

especially one that millions of
people have come to rely upon.

How many are dying?
Who is dying?

And how are they dying?

This is what I want to know.

I'm sorry, what exactly
are you asking for?

I want you to pull together
all the data we have

on overdose deaths
from OxyContin,

and I want them organized
by state and region.

The DEA doesn't have
data on overdoses.

What do you mean‐‐you don't?
No.

That information
would be spread out

across the country,
state‐by‐state,

or even county‐by‐county,
patchwork of isolated reports.

It would be incredibly
difficult to gather it all.

Well, I'm a very
difficult woman.

Let's do it.

Are you joking?
No, I'm not.

I want to do
an exhaustive study

on OxyContin overdose deaths,
and this is key‐‐

I want to know
how many of those deaths

are coming from people
who are taking the drug

exactly as prescribed.

Is that something you can
ascertain from the autopsy?

Potentially, yes, but,

just to be clear,
so you understand

exactly what you're asking for.
Okay.

We're going to
have to go through

thousands of autopsies
individually,

match autopsies
with police reports,

and dig through
handwritten notes.

It will take
quite a bit of time.

I don't care
how much time it takes.

Morning, Rick.

Happy anniversary.

We opened the case
three years ago.

I was gonna get you
rhubarb pie,

but the bakery was out.

Feels like
a long three years.

Still haven't even begun
to nail a top executive.

Come on, man.

We were so close
to a whistleblower.

And we're gonna
find another one.

We're solid on misbranding.

We can show the 1% claim
was fraudulent.

So, I mean,
there's a lot here for a jury.

I'm not worried about a jury.

I'm‐‐I'm worried
about Main Justice,

because you know
who's gonna go out and lobby

everyone he knows there,
and I just don't want

this case to get
brushed under the rug.

But if we start charging
individuals with felonies,

we need the k*ll sh*t.

What was the name of that
U.S. Attorney up in Maine?

Jay McCloskey?

Did he dig
into Purdue at all?

I think he had
a few meetings with them,

but nothing significant
came from it.

I'll reach out to him.

I think
he's in private practice now.

We should look
into the doctors again.

See if we missed something.

Like what?
Some sort of kickback scheme.

Or maybe an illegal promotion
that we can tie back

to upper management.

If we circle back
to the doctors,

we should start with the ones

that we busted
for over‐prescription.

Maybe after a few years
sitting in jail,

they'd be willing
to tell us more.

Oh, yeah.

And I'll reach out
to Jay McCloskey.

Sounds good.

I'm gonna get to it.

Hey.

Happy anniversary.

You said it.

Tonight, we celebrate
OxyContin

passing $1 billion
a year in sales!

Yeah!

Two years ahead of schedule.

Everyone at HQ
sends their best wishes,

and they want you all to know
that there's no way

they could have done this
without you.

That's right.

Hey, we have a hot line
to the cab company tonight,

in case, you know,
you slip yourself an OxyContin.

So let's get this party

started, all right? DJ!

Yeah!

It's about that time
to make way

on the dance floor right now.

Hope you got your drinks.

♪ Let's get
this party started ♪

I'ma have a Long Island
at the bar.

♪ Let's get this
party started, let's go ♪

♪ Okay, okay ♪

Hey, thanks, man.

Can I get another one
straight away?

♪ ♪

Another one?

So when I show up
for the first time,

it's 10:00 in the morning,

and there's literally‐‐
it's like a tailgate party.

Are you serious?
I sh*t you not.

They're drinking beers
in the parking lot

with a line out the door.
sh*t.

It's wild. I literally work
one day a month.

You're a f*cking assh*le.

Working one day a month.

Did you say something,
buddy?

Who's this guy?
Oh, me?

Yeah.
Oh, I said, um,

I said you're
a f*cking assh*le.

Did you not hear?
Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Man, calm down.
This fool's just‐‐

No, man, I'm just
talking to my new buddy, man.

You got a f*cking
problem, dude?

Hey!
Hey, hey, hey, hey.

That's quite a shove.
Sorry, he's totally wasted!

Yeah.
You should be careful, though,

'cause I could have
spilled it on your suit.

Come on, let's go.
You too.

You should keep
your little poodle on a leash.

Jesus.
We are literally still at work.

What's wrong with you?

I don't know.

You're drunk.

Come on, let me take you home
and take advantage of you.

Do you even like me, Amber?

Even a little bit?

Sure, I do.

That was very convincing.

Excuse me, colleagues.

For the Lord is my shepherd.

I shall not want.

He maketh me lie down
in pastures.

He restoresth my soul.

The Lord is with us all.

Lord Jesus,

help our dear Betsy

in the struggle
against addiction.

Yes, Father!

Give her strength
to fight this battle.

Hear our cry, oh, Lord!

In the name of our Lord,
Jesus Christ,

let her be free!

Let her be free!

Let her be free!

Let her be free!
Let her be free.

Let me be free!

Let her be free!

Let me be free!

Let her be free!

Let me be free!

Let her be free!

Let me be free!
Yes.

Betsy, you, uh‐‐you okay?

Pastor, uh...

I'm worried that, uh...

this isn't gonna work for me.

Why is that?

I never believed.

In any of this.

Ever since I was a little girl.

But your‐‐
your folks told me

you been going to church
your whole life.

I did it for them.

Well, perhaps part of it
was for you too,

without you even knowing it.

You've always been
near the Lord.

He's always loved you.

Do you think
He can help me now?

Oh, yes. He can.

But you have to accept Him
into your heart.

And when you do,

He'll guide you out
of this darkness.

He'll cast that devil
right out of your soul.

'Cause He loves you,
Betsy Mallum,

and deep down inside,
you've always loved Him.

Maybe I‐‐maybe I have.

Of course you have.

That's what led you
to church every Sunday.

And that love will lead you
to the path of recovery.

Would you like to pray with me?

I'm kind of worried,
to be honest with you.

I mean, the recidivism rate is
awfully high in these places.

People keep coming back.

What if it just doesn't work?

I've been sober 14 years,
seven months,

three weeks, two days.

So many have been saved
by this program.

What were you addicted to?

I'm a recovering alcoholic.

Well, I'm on OxyContin.
Yeah?

And this place‐‐

this place used to be
90% alcohol and cocaine,

and in the past two years,
it's 90% OxyContin.

It's all addiction, Samuel.
Yeah.

It's all the same fight.

Okay.

I want to talk
about the early days,

when you first
started prescribing.

Did Purdue give you
any kickbacks?

Just the usual stuff.

Expensive dinners,
tickets to football games.

I went to a few of their
weekend seminars in Orlando.

Anything specific about
those weekends that you recall?

Pretty girls.

Stuffed animals.

They made a great case
for why the drug was so safe.

What did they say?

That it was
basically non‐addictive

because
of its time‐release system.

The FDA label
was a big part of it.

And the blood charts.

Blood charts. So these‐‐

these are the ones
that showed that the drug

plateaued in the bloodstream
instead of spiked.

Yeah, those.

Explain those to me,
would you?

'Cause I‐‐like,
I don't always get the science.

Charts show that the drug
remained smooth and even

in the blood
because of the timed release,

versus the drug spiking
up and down in the blood

of an immediate‐release pill,
like Vicodin.

Mm.
This made the drug

less prone to abuse,

'cause it didn't give the user
a feeling of euphoria.

And you found that
these charts swayed you

on the drug's safety.

Oh, definitely.

It was the phrase they used.

Fewer peaks and valleys.

I hadn't heard that before,
and it felt safe.

But the drug is not safer.

Then...

wouldn't the charts...

be false?

Yeah.

You might be right.

Oh, this chart
is absolutely deceptive.

See, right here.

The Y‐axis is
on the logarithmic scale,

not a linear one,
like most normal charts.

So the top number is 100 mg.

Now, on a normal linear scale,

this number halfway down
would be 50.

But see what Purdue did?

They dramatically
compressed the scale.

See here, from 10 to 50,

and then from 50 to 100.

What does that mean?

It's been manipulated.

The Purdue chart hides the fact
that OxyContin's blood levels

actually drop precipitously
in the first few hours.

If we look at
the non‐manipulated chart,

we see how it should look.

Even intervals
all the way up the axis,

that shows spikes and drops,
like all opioids have.

So you're telling us that
these OxyContin blood charts,

they deliberately
created a false impression.

100%.

This is a false plateau.

And unless you're
a trained data scientist,

you wouldn't catch it.

What's really strange to me
is why the FDA approved it.

This would require
FDA approval?

They approve all these charts.

And there's no way they'd miss
the log scale manipulation.

The only way this chart
makes it through

the FDA approval process
is if they turned a blind eye.

There is a deep connection

between dr*gs and terrorism.

It's history,

but it also reflects
today's reality.

And no one knows this more
than our guest of honor,

Time Magazine's Man of the Year

for his leadership
in the wake of 9/11,

and my good friend,

Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Thank you, Asa.
Thank you.

Thank you, thank you.

I'd like to thank those

whose generosity
made this exhibit possible

at the DEA Museum.

Drug trafficking
funds terrorism.

But beyond that,
they are both intended

to break the spirit
of this great country.

But that won't happen.

Not with the hard work
of the DEA.

Deputy Director Meyer, correct?

Yes, sir.
I'm sorry. I'm just‐‐

it's such an honor to meet you.

What you have done for
this country was unbelievable.

So important for all of us.
Thank you.

I lost two friends
in the South Tower.

I'm so sorry.

I'm so sorry.
Thank you.

But I have to say
the honor is mine.

You are the highest‐ranking
woman in the DEA, correct?

Yes, sir.

I've heard really
great things about you,

and I'd love to chat.

I would be honored. Any time.

How about right now?

Uh, sure.

Great.

You may not know this,
but I'm a cancer survivor.

I did know.
And I am so sorry.

Thank you so much.

I got through it,
and because of my experience,

I truly understand
the pain and distress

that accompany illness.

I just started a new firm,
and I had to really think hard

about what kinds of cases
I would take on.

And after what I went through,

I felt like I was
in a unique position

to represent Purdue Pharma.

I'd love for you
to come to my office

sometime in the next week
and see a presentation

that I put together
on OxyContin.

I think Purdue has

a wonderful drug.

And they're doing
all that they can

to keep it
out of the wrong hands.

♪ ♪

How much do you think

Giuliani raised
for the DEA Museum?

10 grand? 20?

Whatever it is,
it's not good.

Yeah.
And it's not good

for your investigation.
This guy is a national hero.

He's friends
with the president.

We finally heard
from Jay McCloskey,

the U.S. Attorney in Maine.
I know who he is.

Dr. Richard,

you've become
very curt with me,

and it's disrespectful.

And frankly,
it's getting upsetting.

Jay McCloskey?

Yes.

He's going to chair
a law enforcement conference

on how to best deal with
the OxyContin issue.

That's good.

I agree.

We need to keep this
a law enforcement issue

and not a medical issue.

He's‐‐he's invited us
to attend.

And I think we should send
a small delegation

to make clear we want to help
in any way we can.

Absolutely.

We need him
to understand abusers

are compromising life‐saving
medications.

We need to keep
hammering the abusers.

You know,

I actually think
you shouldn't attend.

Why not?

You have really passionate
feelings on addiction,

and we need to be as politic
as possible right now,

something that you, at times,

are not very good at.

Hm.

Fine.

Just be sure
to hammer the abusers.

I haven't shared
very much or spoken

about anything in here, like‐‐

like all‐‐all you guys did.

So I want to‐‐
I want to apologize for that.

I don't know
if all of you know this‐‐

some of you might know‐‐
but I was a‐‐

I was a physician

who prescribed OxyContin

to some of my patients.

Some of these people,
I considered my friends.

Some of them became addicted.

Some of them d*ed.

Sometimes I think I'm the one
who should have d*ed.

These are just good,
decent people

who thought
they could trust me,

and I feel like
I betrayed them,

and I feel like
I let them down.

I'm just gonna have
to live with that.

I don't even know if I'm ready

to go out into the world,
but...

Well, there you go.

Guess I'll give it a sh*t.

I don't know, I feel, uh,

like I'm still addicted,
you know?

Like‐‐like I still need it.

Well, these feelings
don't magically go away.

It's gonna feel
overwhelming at times.

But it is important
to live one day at a time.

You know?
Yeah.

Wake up each morning,

recommit to the process.

Okay. Well...

You have someone
picking you up?

Yeah.
Good.

Yeah, I'll just wait here.
I do.

Hey.

We're here if you need us.

Okay, thank you.

All right.

♪ There ain't
nothing that can't be done ♪

♪ By me and God ♪

♪ Ain't nobody gonna
come between ♪

♪ Me and God ♪

♪ One day,
we'll live together ♪

♪ Where the angels trod ♪

♪ Me and God ♪

Dear Lord, thank you
for this glorious meal.

For my health,
my‐‐my recovery.

But most of all,

I want to thank you
for my wonderful parents,

who have stuck with me through
the most horrible of times.

I'm so lucky to have them.

And to have you in my life,
dear Lord.

I know I wouldn't make it
without you all here

to protect me.

Amen.

Amen.
Amen.

Bets, if you come away
from this

with a greater love
of the Lord,

I promise you
it'll be worth it.

I think so too.

♪ He's my father ♪

♪ He's my friend ♪

♪ The beginning and the end ♪

♪ He rules the world ♪

♪ With a staff and rod ♪

♪ We're a team, me and God ♪

Dr. Finnix?

Dr. Finnix.

Dr. Finnix!

Dr. Finnix?

One second.

Hey.

Hey, how you doing?

Are you joking?
You called me last night

and said you were gonna
k*ll yourself.

I did?

No, that's‐‐

I wasn't serious.

Are you gonna invite me in?

Yeah, please, come in.

I was on the night shift,
so I couldn't leave.

I was worried sick about you.

Sit. Come on, sit down.

How you doing? How you doing?

You want some coffee
or something?

No. Thank you.

You want some juice?

You're using again,
aren't you?

Yeah.

You know, rehab didn't work.

I mean, you know,

people over there
just keeps coming in and out,

going back and forth.

They come in, they go out,
they come in.

A doctor at the hospital
told me the same thing.

He said those places
work better for alcohol.

That recovery is a lot harder
for opiates.

It's damn near impossible.

Have you thought
about methadone?

He said it might work.

Just get addicted, like,
trade one for the other one,

'cause those guys‐‐
those Vietnam guys‐‐

the vets I used to work with,

they just called it
liquid handcuffs,

'cause you just‐‐
you know, just‐‐same thing.

Well, you gotta try something.

Yeah.

I asked around, and there's
a good clinic in Knoxville.

It's worth a sh*t, Dr. Finnix.

I'm not a doctor anymore.

I don't care what you are.

I just don't want you dead.

Can't you at least try it?

I'm sorry, we have
to postpone St. Moritz.

But the kids are really
looking forward to it.

I mean, David won't shut up
about those new skis.

It's‐‐it's only two weekdays.

It's a very serious
situation.

A U.S. Attorney in Maine

is causing
some real problems for us.

What are you so afraid of?

You're president.

The drug is making
a billion a year.


Why can't you just enjoy it?

Maybe I'm not capable of joy.

Then the kids and I
will go without you.

Okay.

Well, thanks
for meeting with us.

I know the FDA must be
pretty overwhelmed

with approvals and such.

We are.
How can I help you?

We want to know
how the approval process works

for scientific charts.

Well, any data
that a company wants to use

in marketing and promotions

has to be approved by us,
to ensure accuracy.

So if Purdue Pharma used
specific language in charts,

then the FDA approved it?

That's correct.

We'd like to ask you

about this blood chart
that sales reps at Purdue

showed doctors to demonstrate
that the drug

didn't have the same peaks
and valleys as other opiates.

Would you guys give us
the room for a minute?

Sure.
Thank you.

Where did you get this?
In discovery, at Purdue.

And you're sure that

this is a chart that Purdue
reps actually showed doctors?

Mm‐hmm. A version of it.

There are others
that are similar.

It was used in seminars
and for promotional purposes.

God damn it.

Is that a problem?
Yes, that's a problem.

That's a big problem.

This chart has been manipulated

to give
a false impression of the data.

The scale in this column
has been deceptively numbered.

Their drug actually spikes
like any opioid,

not this bullshit plateau
that the graph claims.

Why'd the FDA approve it?

We didn't.

We specifically told Purdue

they could not
make these claims.

I can give you the letter
we sent them years ago.

And we rejected
the use of the term

"fewer peaks and valleys,"

as that is clearly
not accurate.

Are you aware that sales reps
at Purdue used this term

as a major marketing tool?

Not until this conversation.

Those f*cking assholes
do this all the time!

They just do whatever
the hell they want.

And this division has been
pushing back on them for years.

And would you be willing
to testify to this

before a grand jury?

Oh, gladly.

U.S. Attorney McCloskey,

esteemed participants,
thank you for including us

in this important conversation
and for bringing this

concerning topic
to our attention.

This is more than
just a concerning topic.

It's a crisis in our state

that stems
directly from your drug.

I was reluctant
to include representatives

from Purdue here today,
but we need all hands on deck,

as this problem
continues to escalate.

And we want to do
what's right,

so we've come up
with some solutions

we believe
will be very effective.

Like what?

Doctor?

Yes, at Purdue Pharma,

we'll immediately commit to
hiring a team of expert

independent consultants
to develop a strategy

to educate physicians
on the ways to identify

addicts and abusers.

This is Rick Mountcastle
calling for Jay McCloskey.

I have tried several times,
and as a former U.S. Attorney,

I'd expect that
he'd at least call me back.

Mr. McCloskey apologizes.

He's been very busy.

He'll return your call
as soon as possible.

Thank you so much.

What will these experts
accomplish?

Phase one of their strategy

will be to have
our sales team members

conclude all of
their doctor's visits

with a clear reminder:

opioid‐based painkillers
are common targets

for both drug abusers
and drug addicts.

Mm.

Maybe he's having
personal problems.

Mm.

Or maybe he's an assh*le.

Easy on the language.

Hey, guys.

You don't need
to call him anymore.

I literally just found out
why McCloskey's

not returning your calls.
Why's that?

Mr. McCloskey,

this is
a law enforcement issue.

And the last thing Purdue wants
is for addicts and abusers

to cause millions
of pain patients

to lose access
to the only thing

that provides them
with pain relief.

After he went
into private practice,

take a wild guess
who he took on as a client.

No.
Yep.

The former U.S. Attorney is
now representing Purdue Pharma.

I'll take it
under consideration.

They are buying off
everybody

who's supposed to be
regulating them.

♪ ♪

You know, Randy,
I owe you an apology.

For what?

Jay McCloskey
really is an assh*le.

41‐year‐old male.

d*ed in his sleep.
No respiratory arrest.

No su1c1de note or
history of suicidal ideation.

So this one is
a confirmed OxyContin death.

It is. But to be honest,

we're running into
some serious issues.

We threw out about
a third of the reports

right off the bat, because
they're missing key info

or are actually
unrelated deaths,

like g*nsh*t wounds or cancer.

Right, we expected that.

Right.

But we didn't expect
the biggest hurdle.

Nearly all the reports
show multiple dr*gs

in the deceased's system,

which we excluded
from the study,

since we're trying to pin down
deaths from Oxy as prescribed.

So where does that leave us?

What number are we at?

It's not
what you're looking for.

So far, we've only found

a dozen overdoses
with just oxycodone.

Just a dozen.

At this point,
we were expecting about 150.

I'm happy to keep going,
but it's not promising.

We could do this for months

and barely triple
these numbers.

No, no, that's fine.

We can stop.

Thank you
for all the hard work.

Honey.

I TiVoed 24.
Should we watch it?

Bridget.

Oh, um, yeah, sure.

You okay?

You don't want
to hear about it.

Honey, I do.

Hey, talk to me.

Honey.

I met a kid a few years ago,

in Kentucky.

Uh‐huh.

And interviewing him

was the moment I realized

that there was something
unique about the drug.

He just d*ed from an overdose.

I could have done more.

I could have worked harder...

Come on, Bridget.
And smarter.

This is not your fault.

And I could have saved him.

You did not make this drug.

You did not sell this drug.

I could have worked harder.
Honey.

And I could have done more.
Honey.

This is not on you.

This is gonna sound strange.

But I keep having this fantasy

that I have Richard Sackler

handcuffed to a chair.

And I force him to watch
a video of all of the victims

who have d*ed from OxyContin.

Make him face
all of his victims.

All the lives
cut short for profit.

All the tragedy
that he brought to families.

All the communities destroyed

for his family's greed.

I just want him to see it all
with his own two eyes

exactly what it is
that he has done.

But do you think
he'd even care?

No, he wouldn't, would he?

Anyone who would do this
in the first place

probably wouldn't at all.

Wouldn't care.

Hello?

Hi, Vivian.

It's Richard.

Hey, babe, I'll take this
in the other room.

It's a friend.

Hi, Richard.

It's been a long time.

At least 20 years?

Too long.

How's your family?

They're good.

Yours?

The company
is doing very well.

I heard. Congratulations.

Thank you.

And your wife.

How's she doing?

She's good.

Well, I'm sure
your parents are pleased.

I know they were
never fond of me.

I called to see if maybe

we could get lunch sometime.

Um...

No, I don't‐‐
Yes, of course.

Of course.

Well, I‐‐I have to go.

Are you sure?
We can keep talking‐‐

Take care of yourself.
Okay‐‐

You okay, sir?

Tell me about Maine.

Um, it went very well.

I think we were able
to make clear to McCloskey

this is
a law enforcement issue,

and I didn't get the sense

he's going to push
to regulate the medication.

He said he wants to keep
in open communication with us.

I think we definitely should.

Um, even so,

with the U.S. Attorney
sniffing around,

we might need to be
extra careful with

what people
are putting in writing.

We've begun the process
of creating an email system

in which specified emails
instantly delete

as soon as they've been read.

That's an excellent idea.

♪ ♪

Dear Lord,
help me defeat the Devil.

Give me the strength
to shun his evil ways.

I need You to help me
with temptation, dear Lord.

Protect me from harm.

Keep me on the path
of the righteous.

Guide me with Your wisdom
and Your love.

I promise...

I promise I will worship You
for all of eternity.

Little Bets.

Hey, girl.

Hey, Walt.
How you doing?

Uh, listen.

You got any Oxy?
Yeah, no, no.

I ain't had no Oxy in months.

But, um,
I got something better.

Get out of here.
Don't touch me!

Get your hands off me!

I'm sorry about that.
You all right?

I'm in real bad shape.
Yeah.

Well, I ain't got no OCs,
but I got some H.

It's way cheaper,

and it's way better.
Uh...

There ain't nothing
to be scared about.

It's me.

You know?

Want to try it?

Okay.

Huh? Yeah, well, come on in.

All right.
I'm sorry it's a mess.

Come on. Yeah, come on in here.

Make yourself comfortable.

Okay, okay.
Good.

Yeah, warm up.

Hey, you're gonna like it,
I promise.

Take your jacket off.

♪ ♪

Sign in, please.

Samuel.

Other side, please.

Hello, Samuel.
Hi.

The doctor's gonna
start you on 35 mg.

You'll get used to it.

Now drink the water.

Okay, have a seat.

We need you to hang out
for an hour,

just to make sure you don't
have a negative reaction.

And after that,
I will see you here every day,

bright and early,
seven days a week.

Okay.

Hey. Hard part's over.

You're on the road
to recovery now.

Yeah.

Hello?
Hey.

Hey, sorry to, uh,
bother you so late.

No, no, I'm just catching up
on my non‐Oxy work.

Um, sorry about that.

Don't be. What's up?

Um, I know a lot of other
dr*gs are commonly prescribed

along with OxyContin,
like Xanax and antidepressants.

Would it be possible
to separate out

other non‐lethal
prescription dr*gs

with Oxy in their systems?

Because those
drug combinations most likely

would have been taken
as approved by the FDA.

Exactly, if we separate out
non‐lethal combos,

then we end up
with a more accurate number

of Oxy‐related
overdoses, right?

Can you make that distinction?

Absolutely.

Okay, we're likely missing
quite a few deaths

that are just
too difficult to uncover.

But even so, with the changes
to our methodology,

the results
are frankly shocking.

When combined with
non‐lethal medications,

we found far more deaths
linked to OxyContin

than had previously
been estimated.

464.

464.

Yeah, but that's
not the biggest thing.

Only 12 of those
are the result of

chewing, snorting,
or injecting,

which means 98% of those deaths

were the result of people
taking the pills orally,

as directed.

Our findings suggest
it's most probably

not the abuser who's dying
from OxyContin consumption.

It's pain patients,

who are taking the drug
exactly as prescribed.

Correct.

They're the ones
dying from overdoses,

based on these autopsies.

My latest theory,
from all this new data,

is that actual abusers

are switching to cheaper dr*gs
like heroin.

This is exactly
what you needed to prove

to the FDA, isn't it?

♪ ♪

Could you excuse me
for a moment?

I got you.

I got you. I f*cking got you.
I got you.

I f*cking got you.

I f*cking got you,
lying m*therf*ckers!

♪ ♪

♪ The world is my expense ♪

♪ The cost of my desire ♪

♪ Jesus blessed me
with its future ♪

♪ And I protect it with fire ♪

♪ So raise your fists
and march around ♪

♪ Just don't take
what you need ♪

♪ I'll jail and bury
those committed ♪

♪ And smother the rest
in greed ♪

♪ Crawl with me
into tomorrow ♪

♪ Or I'll drag you
to your grave ♪

♪ I'm deep inside
your children ♪

♪ They'll betray you
in my name ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Hey, hey ♪

♪ Sleep now in the fire ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Hey, hey ♪

♪ Sleep now in the fire ♪

♪ The lie is my expense ♪

♪ The scope of my desire ♪

♪ The party blessed me
with its future ♪

♪ And I protect it with fire ♪

♪ I am the Niña, the Pinta,
the Santa Maria ♪

♪ The noose and the r*pist,
the fields overseer ♪

♪ The agents of orange,
the priests of Hiroshima ♪

♪ The cost of my desire ♪

♪ Sleep now in the fire ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Hey, hey ♪

♪ Sleep now in the fire ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Hey, hey ♪

♪ Sleep now in the fire ♪
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