Is Purdue Pharma-Sponsored 'Partnership at drugfree.org' a Ruse? Part 2

"There are lies, damned lies and statistics." Mark Twain

Special thanks to: 02varvara.wordpress.com

(MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.) - Partnership for Drugfree.org preys on the emotions of family members losing loved ones to the prescription drug epidemic as they support Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin. The same Purdue Pharma responsible for criminally marketing the drug and unleashing death and addiction throughout the U.S. and Canada by having them as a sponsor of their organization.

I recently wrote about the Partnership for Drugfree.org (Here is the link to part 1) and their distorted statistics as to the prescription drug epidemic we are experiencing in every state in the U.S. and Canada. In particular, I cite OxyContin as the leading cause of death and addiction in unprecedented proportion as the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) allows this to happen.

What is of particular concern on the Partnership at Drugfree.org is their "Memorial" page. Currently there are 338 memorial postings by bereaved parents showing pictures of their deceased children and family members who have succumbed to their deaths with a posting under their pictures indicating "multiple drugs" were cause of death. They conveniently do not indicate on the Memorial page, the drug(s) responsible for the deaths. The collage of pictures shown are set to heart tugging music with a recommendation that a donation to the Partnership at Drugfree.org be made in memory of the deceased loved one.

The families setting up the 338 memorials should be aware that one of the sponsors of this website is Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin. The pharmaceutical company marketed the dangerous drug as less likely to be addictive or abused thereby unleashing the crisis we have in the U.S. and Canada of prescription drug deaths -- and taking in revenue of approximately $10 billion for their criminal activity.

Interestingly enough, Giuliani Partners is also a sponsor of this organization. Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City, and self-named hero of 9/11, negotiated the plea agreement when Purdue Pharma was found guilty of committing the heinous act of deceit in their marketing of OxyContin.

Giuliani was the mastermind at keeping the three convicted CEO's of Purdue Pharma, Michael Friedman, Howard Udell and Paul Goldenheim from serving prison time for their acts.

If any family member grateful to this benevolent Partners at Drugfree. org website, makes a donation in memory of their deceased loved one -- or worse makes a recurring gift on a monthly basis that is suggested on the website, maybe you would be interested in some of the sponsors of Partners at a Drugfree.org website. The list is shown below -- and my guess is that money is no object to any company listed as a sponsor.

Maybe a more fitting memorial would be to set up a fund for addicted people to enter facilities for drug rehabilitation such as the Waismann Method in Orange County, California where over 65% of patients treated with the Waismann Method remain drug free after one year.  www.opiates.com.

I have long  proposed that Purdue Pharma should be required to set up successful detox facilities throughout the U.S. and Canada for those addicted to the drug they lied about -- OxyContin and made billions of dollars at the cost of human life.  The following was posted on a blog regarding the treatment patients receive for their addictions at Waismann.

The Waismann Method of detoxification Under Anesthesia utilizes the most advanced medical technique available for opiate dependency. Patients are treated with the highest level of professionalism, dignity and respect. We are located in Orange County, So California; where we receive patients from all over the world weekly.  Here is a bit on what we do....

Dr. Andre Waismann - Head of the ANR Center at the Barzilay Governmetal Hospital

Day 1 and 2

The procedure takes place in a full service hospital to provide the close monitoring and access to additional medical services or specialists that may become necessary. Patients are admitted the day before the procedure for a complete medical evaluation including history, physical exam, and blood work to evaluate kidney and liver function. Patients also have a Chest X-Ray and an electrocardiogram, and may undergo an exercise stress test if indicated. Patients are instructed to stop taking all opiate medications, and are then started on the Waismann Method pre-medication protocol. Medications are given to prevent or relieve the symptoms of withdrawal, and during this day patients also receive an intravenous infusion of morphine through a PCA to prevent withdrawal symptoms. Additional medications are used to lower the acid content of the stomach and also to blunt the adrenalin or adrenergic response to withdrawal.

It is imperative that patients spend 24-48 hours in-patient so pre-medication can be properly administered to stabilize body functions which help to achieve a smooth and safe procedure.

Day 3

Patients are transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) to provide close monitoring. Once patients are appropriately sedated and pre-medicated, they are put under anesthesia for 60-90 minutes, and an acute withdrawal is precipitated with medications to block the opiate receptors in the brain while the patient sleeps comfortably. This medically induced withdrawal is controlled and closely monitored by either Dr. Bernstein or Dr. Lowenstein, both Board Certified anesthesiologists who are nationally recognized for their expertise in the use of the Waismann Method. During the anesthesia, patients feel no discomfort, and have no memory of the acute withdrawal once they awaken. After they are awakened from anesthesia, they are closely monitored by one on one nursing staff for the rest of the day and night. Patients are treated as necessary for withdrawal symptoms or discomfort. Most patients feel groggy and experience some mild discomfort after detoxification. Our medical staff is specially trained to ensure patient comfort and safety before and after the detoxification procedure.

Upon awakening, the patient is no longer physically dependent on opiates and has no conscious awareness of experiencing the withdrawal process during the procedure.

Day 4

Patients are transferred from the ICU back to the medical floor where they continue to recover from the withdrawal procedure, receive intravenous fluids and regain their strength. Patients are encouraged to get out of bed and walk and to resume eating regularly. Physicians assess the patient’s readiness for discharge. About 65% of patients are ready for discharge by the afternoon of Day 3, either to Domus, an aftercare facility, or to their home with a family member.

Day 5

Is for patients who require additional medical care, which have underlying pain issues or other medical conditions that may require a longer supervised recovery The Waismann Method protocol is designed based on each patient’s individual medical and dependency history. The pre evaluation and assessment are imperative to the success of the procedure. We will not discharge patients until they are medically stable and able to leave the hospital.

Patients are monitored under our care at our hospital to stabilize their mental and physical condition. Usually patients are discharged at least 24-48 hours or when authorized by our physicians.

We are proud to offer our patients the best medicine has to offer for opiate dependency… The major difference between the Waismann Method and other medical detoxifications is the safety, comfort and success of our patients.

Every patient has a different medical and dependency history, and we treat them as individuals with specific needs. Our doctors will not treat a patient with out at least 24 hours of observation, pre-medication, and pre-examination. Pharmaceuticals are the main tool used to achieve the desired result; we need to understand how each patient react to medications, so we can use the appropriate ones to safely achieve our goals of detoxification.

Different doctors in the US have tried this procedure in surgery centers or even offices in order to save on costs. Consequently safety standards are saved as well, compromising results and well being of patients.

The Waismann Method includes a 6 week follow up with a therapist that can be done in person or by phone. Is a great way to help the patients deal with life on life's terms and to have support going back to life without the narcotics.

Partnership for a Drug Free America Corporate Sponsor List

Chairman's Circle ($100,000 or Higher)
Comcast Cable
Consumer Healthcare Products Association
MetLife Foundation
Purdue Pharma L.P.

Platinum Medallion (Between $99,999 and $50,000)
Cardinal Health Foundation
Eastman Kodak Company
Johnson & Johnson
Joseph Drown Foundation
Major League Baseball
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, Inc.
The Procter & Gamble Fund

Gold Medallion (Between $49,999 and $25,000)
BASF Corporation
Bayer Corporation
F. M. Kirby Foundation
GE Foundation
General Motors Foundation
GlaxoSmithKline
Kimberly-Clark
McNeil Consumer Products
Merrill Lynch & Co., Foundation, Inc.
Perrigo Company
Pfizer Inc.
Schering-Plough Foundation
Wyeth Consumer Healthcare Division

Silver Medallion (Between $24,999 and $15,000)
Exxon Mobil Corporation
PACCAR Foundation

Bronze Medallion (Between $14,999 and $5,000)
Bloomberg Financial
ChevronTexaco Corporation
Client Business Services Inc.
Corning Incorporated Foundation
Endo Pharmaceuticals
HBO & Company
Hershey Foods Corporation
Hoffmann-La Roche Inc.
Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.
Merck & Co., Inc.
Mesa Police Department, Arizona
National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation
Phoenix Police Department, Arizona
Qwest Foundation
Snell & Wilmer Charitable Foundation
The E.W. Scripps Company
Tribune New York Foundation
Walgreen Co.

Gala Donor ($5,000 or Higher)
Allen & Company, Inc
Alliance for Consumer Education
American Express Company
AT&T Wireless Services, Inc
BBDO Worldwide
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
Brown Partners, Inc
Cablevision Systems/Rainbow Media Holdings
Center City Film and Video
Comcast Cable
Consumer Healthcare Products Association
Court TV
DDB Worldwide Communications Group, Inc
Discovery Networks
Element 79 Partners
Entergy Corporation
General Electric Company
Giuliani Partners LLC
GlaxoSmithKline
Grey Global Group Inc.
IBM
Independence Blue Cross
Johnson & Johnson
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Lazard Fr?res & Co. LLC
Major League Baseball
McCann WorldGroup
MetLife Foundation
Moodys Corporation
MTV Networks
National Basketball Association
New York Post and News Corporation
Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide
OMD Worldwide
Outdoor Life Network - Gravity Games
Purdue Pharma L.P.
Schering-Plough Corporation
Showtime Networks, Inc
Sony Corporation of America
TBWA Worldwide, Inc
The Bank of New York Company, Inc
The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc
The Kaplan Thaler Group
The New York Times
The Walt Disney Company
The Washington Post Company
The Xerox Foundation
Time Warner Inc.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc
Turner Network Sales
Yahoo

Partnership Partner ($4,999 or Higher)
Alliance Capital Management LP
Automatic Data Processing,Inc
Caterpillar Foundation
Colgate-Palmolive Company
Hallmark Corporate Foundation
OMNOVA Solutions Foundation, Inc.
Schuck & Sons Construction Co. Inc.
Scottsdale Police Department, Arizona
The Chubb Corporation
The Ohio National Foundation

 

 

Haven't we had enough of the likes of Purdue Pharma funding lobbying groups such as Partnership at a drugfree.org, American Pain Foundation, National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators (NADDI) and RX Patrol?  Our children are becoming addicted and dying because there was no conscience in criminally marketing OxyContin -- there was only greed. 

 

Let's have the big corporations shown above sponsoring the bogus Partnership at a drugfree.org put their money into rehab facilities for the victims of OxyContin.  Stop making convicted felons richer at the cost of our family members lives.

 

LP - I hope I always give you the love, encouragement, faith and laughter you give me every minute of every day -- and keep the injectorpods from taking over.

 

 

_________________________________

Salem-News.com Reporter Marianne Skolek, is an Activist for Victims of OxyContin and Purdue Pharma throughout the United States and Canada. In July 2007, she testified against Purdue Pharma in Federal Court in Virginia at the sentencing of their three CEO's - Michael Friedman, Howard Udell and Paul Goldenheim - who pleaded guilty to charges of marketing OxyContin as less likely to be addictive or abused to physicians and patients. She also testified against Purdue Pharma at a Judiciary Hearing of the U.S. Senate in July 2007. Marianne works with government agencies and private attorneys in having a voice for her daughter Jill, who died in 2002 after being prescribed OxyContin, as well as the voice for scores of victims of OxyContin. She has been involved in her work for the past 8-1/2 years and is currently working on a book that exposes Purdue Pharma for their continued criminal marketing of OxyContin.

Marianne is a nurse having graduated in 1991 as president of her graduating class. She also has a Paralegal certification. Marianne served on a Community Service Board for the Courier News, a Gannet newspaper in NJ writing articles predominantly regarding AIDS patients and their emotional issues. She was awarded a Community Service Award in 1993 by the Hunterdon County, NJ HIV/AIDS Task Force in recognition of and appreciation for the donated time, energy and love in facilitating a Support Group for persons with HIV/AIDS.

Marianne Skolek
National Activist for Victims of OxyContin and
Purdue Pharma - a criminally convicted pharmaceutical company
Staff Writer, Salem-News.com

http://www.purduepharma.com/pressroom/app/news_announc/USGovt_reponse_Main.pdf

http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/testimony.cfm?id=2905&wit_id=6612

http://i.bnet.com/blogs/sebelius-response.pdf

http://www.vawd.uscourts.gov/PurdueFrederickCo/default.asp

www.oxydeaths.com

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robxrph November 13, 2011 12:30 am (Pacific time)

For the loss of her child I feel sad. I must share briefly my story though which describes the benefit of Oxycontin. I was given no hope by all health care practioners of ever having a future life following a back injury and 2 unsuccesfull surgeries. When Oxycontin reached the market I was prescribed a dose that most considered "massive". Because of how it was formulated in slow release, I received pain relief without mental impairment. I returned to work full time while on Oxycontin and today have recovered sufficiently to where I no longer need pain control. Oxycontin literally gave me another chance to live. I must add also that anything used inappropriatly is dangerous. Lets be careful not to accuse the maker of something beneficial for its mis-use.

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