OxyContin
Wednesday, October 1st, 2003OxyContin reported annual sales exceeding $1 billion in 2000 as Purdue Pharma’s top selling product. The company has been criticized for using a sales campaign for OxyContin focusing on doctors in order to allow OxyContin to become a highly financial success without appropriately stressing the dangers and strength of OxyContin. As a result, some critics believe the OxyContin sales campaigns caused OxyContin to become one of the most widely abused narcotic today.
OxyContin maker spent over $500 million according to a Lexington Herald-Leader report that cited Purdue Pharma corporate records, (8/17/03) to send out a group of sales reps around the country to introduce OxyContin to family doctors who were the largest prescribers of competing painkillers. Using highly rewarding financial incentive for its’ workers, Purdue Pharma used prescribing data about doctors’ practices to better target potential OxyContin sales. A doctor and critic of OxyContin has stated that, “when an OxyContin salesman walks in the door, he knows more about my prescribing than I do,” (AP, 8/18/03).
There are around 285 OxyContin lawsuits still pending against Purdue Pharma.
