The Netflix series Dopesick has portrayed a real-life character named Russell Portenoy. In 1995, a pharmaceutical company named Purdue Pharma produced a drug named OxyContin and aggressively marketed it.
The drug was launched with one of the biggest pharmaceutical marketing campaigns which later was proven addictive and invited the worst opioid epidemy in the country.
The Netflix drama miniseries is based on this same story. The character Russell was an advocate for Purdue whose testament bring the drug into use which later evolved into an epidemy.
After the drug was created, many doctors argued that it is addictive. However, Russell Portenoy, who is a pain specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center argued that it was a ‘medical myth’ and opioids can be used long-term with little side effects.
And the reason why he said that is because he was receiving funds from Purdue.
