Purdue's OxyContin: A Blessing and a Curse
Executive Summary
Purdue Pharma's best-selling opioid painkiller, OxyContin, is starting to look more like a curse than a blessing to the company as incidents of its abuse rise. The drug is being sold on the street like a narcotic, and publicity about pharmacies being robbed and overdose deaths caused by OxyContin could hurt sales. Purdue's not the first pharma company to stand accused of doing bad while trying to do good. But the company is frustrated, even as it takes precautions to stem abusive use of its product.
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