Dealers, Doctors and the Drug

Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy

Introduction

There is a large number of people struggling with drug addictions. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 19.7 million Americans who are above the age of 12 battled alcohol and substance use disorder. 74% of them struggle with addiction to alcohol, while 36% battled illicit drug use disorder. While there are strong arguments between a choice and a disease, addiction is undeniably driven by force stronger than an individual. There are more deaths from overdoses that there are from HIV/AIDS, automobiles, or guns. Most of the deaths are fueled by opioids, and hence the new book by Macy (2018), the book could but have come at a more critical time and has already garnered numerous accolades. It has been listed as the top 100 notable books of 2018 by the New York Times Book Reviews. Top 5 Best Books; in the Chicago Tribune, Best Book of the Year by the Washington Post, Best Book of the Year, and Amazon Best Book of 2018; among others.

Summary

The book reveals an up-close and devastating opioid epidemic that has plagued the country since it was incepted 23 years ago through the oxycontin prescription and the corporate greed as well as the failure of regulatory procedures. There is a huge volume of heartbreak between the ages and particularly when one stops to consider the potential of the many young lives who died too soon, the book takes us into the lives of victims and also shines a light on the heroes, the parents who are grieving and became passionate activists after their daughters and sons succumbed to an overdose and the first responders, a number of alarmed doctors, clinical workers and the pharmacists who have tried to get attention to the growing epidemic. She turns near focus on convicted drug dealers who were scheduled for a 2-hour interview in prison and ended up lasting for 6 hours.

The epidemic grabbed the toehold in the distressed communities in the central Appalachia, Midwestern Rust Belt counties, and also rural Maine. Studying the epidemic from different perspectives, she identified the factors that combined to create a perfect storm, she blames the national opioid epidemic on Purdue Pharma, for its mass production of the drugs and aggressively marketing of the signature drugs, OxyContin since it came to the market in 1996. The doctors were told it was a block buster prescription and was non addictive and hence they could safely prescribed as painkillers as non-addictive opioid and that could safely be prescribed at high dosages for both cancer, post-operative pain relief, arthritis, back problems and other issues that lead to chronic pain. It was the new oxycodone and it was formulated to be released slowly to help it last longer. The company claimed that the drug would be less addictive since the initial euphoria of oxycodone would be muted since it has the slow release mechanism. The Food and Drug Administration, allowed OxyContin to comprise of twice the normal dosage of oxycodone grounded on the theory and nothing else. It is notable that the FDA official who supervised OxyContin’s endorsement later took a well-paid job with the company- Purdue.

The introduction of the drug coincided with the introduction of American Pain Society of the idea of pain is the fifth vital sign. The society put the assessment and the treatment of pain at same level with heart rate, blood pressure, temperature among others. pain was since then assessed and treated even if it was self-reported by patients. There followed other standards to assess and treat pain and they have since them been assessed and revised to ensure that the opioids are prescribed to patients.

The Purdue company saw this an opportunity and collected information that allowed it to identify that which the government had identified as the pain killer and the people who would be susceptible to them marketing their new drug. They wooed the doctors with gifts and free meals and were hence incentivized to sell the drug. Annual bonuses and cash prices motivated them to sell the drugs. The higher the doctors prescribed, the larger the bonuses. This strategy worked and the prescriptions increased in numbers across the country. Most of them were misinformed on the true addiction risk of the drug and hence continued to treat pain with medication.

Later it was easy to tamper with the pills and users realized that the drug could be crushed and dissolved and could be snorted like cocaine and also could be injected as heroine and instantly needed a double dose of the drug. Others people who were taking the drugs for their post-operative pain also found themselves addicted to the drug. This followed an opioid crisis which ballooned into heroin epidemic. their main ingredient was oxycodone whose molecular structure was similar to that of heroine. Addiction therefore happened rapidly and the withdrawal symptoms appear 6 to 30 hours after the patient is withdrawn and the person has severe cramping in the abdomen, anxiety, diarrhea, vomiting and nausea. When one or two pills can barely hold off, they will need more of the drug that the doctors can barely prescribe and following that, the drug started being sold in the black market and can be sold at up to $9o per single pill. This is when these people slide to heroine which is a desperate step. The epidemic therefore started when the opioids were overprescribed and people were addicted. The book has therefore provided comprehensive and an up-close look at how people could go to a place where they are dying from addictions. She also makes it clear that there is a lot that needs to be done in our society.

Conclusion

The constant demand to ingest drugs can predisposed to them as a result of their genetic makeup, however, this epidemic affect everyone who has been exposed to the drug. At that point, one cannot be told that it is their choices that have led to the addiction. It seizes to be considered a choice since the unexplainable urge to take the alcohol and drugs is beyond their control, and it is rooted deep within. How can it be a choice when it is something that sneaks up on the individual and attacks the body? Just like any other hereditary disease accounts for half of the likelihood to develop the disease, genetic links as well account for almost half the likelihood to develop an addiction. Addiction, like any other chronic disease, can never be cured entirely. This is unfortunate for the addicts as they may keep on worrying about when they will relapse and return to their addiction. This is as a result of the long-term psychological effects of the addiction. Relapse can be as a result of a trigger which may vary from one person to the next. Careful monitoring, support, and therapy can help manage addiction in the long term

Reference

Macy, B. (2018). Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America (vol 12, pg 29, 2018). Library Journal, 143(21), 90-90.

Get professional assignment help cheaply

Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?

Whichever your reason may is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.

Our essay writers are graduates with diplomas, bachelor, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college diploma. When assigning your order, we match the paper subject with the area of specialization of the writer.

Why choose our academic writing service?

Plagiarism free papers
Timely delivery
Any deadline
Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
Subject-relevant academic writer
Adherence to paper instructions
Ability to tackle bulk assignments
Reasonable prices
24/7 Customer Support
Get superb grades consistently

Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply

Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.

Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?

Plagiarism free papers
Timely delivery
Any deadline
Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
Subject-relevant academic writer
Adherence to paper instructions
Ability to tackle bulk assignments
Reasonable prices
24/7 Customer Support
Get superb grades consistently

Online Academic Help With Different Subjects

Literature

Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.

Finance

Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.

Computer science

Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!

Psychology

While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.

Engineering

Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.

Nursing

In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.

Sociology

Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.

Business

We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!

Statistics

We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.

Law

Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.

What discipline/subjects do you deal in?

We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.

Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?

Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.

What if I don’t like the paper?

There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.

Reasons being:

When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.

In the event that you don’t like your paper:

The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.

Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?

Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.

What if the paper is plagiarized?

We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.

When will I get my paper?

You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.

Will anyone find out that I used your services?

We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.

How our Assignment Help Service Works

1. Place an order

You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.

2. Pay for the order

Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.

3. Track the progress

You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.

4. Download the paper

The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.

PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!