Congressional Hearing on OxyContin Does Not Spotlight Victims

Orlando, FL —  Responding to a national call for an investigation into prescription drug abuse, the U.S. House Committee on Government Reform will hold a field hearing Monday, February 9th, in Orlando Florida. The hearing will include testimony from the Drug Enforcement Agency, the FDA, the medical community and the pharmaceutical giant PhRMA — but NOT directly from the victims of Oxycontin addiction.

Last year the drug company sold more than $1 billion worth of Oxycontin, despite significant evidence that the pain medication had severe addictive qualities.

Dr. David Egilman, a medical doctor and Professor at Brown University, will submit testimony to Members of Congress, that he trusted Purdue Pharma's marketing material and prescribed Oxycontin to his patients. He believes the drug giant planned a marketing strategy designed to fool patients and doctors into believing that Oxycontin was nothing more than a harmless pain killer. "It seems clear that Purdue Pharma has misrepresented the efficacy of its drug in an effort to increase sales and profits at the expense of the healthcare and patient communities."

While Members will not hear directly from victims of Oxycontin addiction, they were presented with written testimony from Floridians and others across the nation suffering from addiction including Chris Czarnocki of Royal Palm Beach, a 38 year old father of two young children started taking OxyContin in 2000 for an injured disc after an accident on the job. After three years on the drug, with bouts of violence and thoughts of suicide, he went through misery to get off the drug. Thankfully, he is alive today to tell his story.