[NittanyLion]

YOU: What is even more disturbing (in a societal sense) is the socialistic attitude evinced by the author of the piece who essentially tells the drug companies "Since your capital and hard work resulted in the discovery of a product that effectively relieves my pain, it is a crime and you should go to jail if you STOP making said product or don't give me enough of it when I demand it." The fact that you have pain does not create an obligation on my part to relieve it; sounds cold but its the truth.

The Author: Knowing all this from my experience in treating patients, I was disturbed to read about members of Congress criticizing Purdue Pharma of Stamford - the maker of the pain medication OxyContin - for failing to do more to stop a relatively small number of abuse cases involving that drug.

I think there's a bit of a disconnect there. The author is taking Congress to task for attempting to force Purdue into enforcing the law.

[strela]

I think there's a bit of a disconnect there. The author is taking Congress to task for attempting to force Purdue into enforcing the law.

The title of the piece is "Depriving Patients of OxyContin is a Crime." That title is arguably untrue, misleading, and inflammatory, and that's what I took issue with.

Further, its not clear to me how Congress is "forcing" the drug company to do anything. The exact quote from the piece is "... I was disturbed to read about members of Congress criticizing Purdue Pharma of Stamford - the maker of the pain medication OxyContin - for failing to do more to stop a relatively small number of abuse cases involving that drug."

Mere criticism isn't "force." Force is force.

Further, the drug is powerful and subject to abuse, therefore making its manufacture and distribution subject to strict regulation in the US. Seems to me that Congress is simply trying to ensure that the drug company comply with the law.