Spark It Up!!!: Some OxyContin Cash Going to The Dept of Mines, Minerals, and Energy

The recent settlement throws $150,000 to the DMME. What is so sad is OxyContin is a wonderful painkiller for those in need. The abusers have ruin that.

The Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy

The Division of Mines within the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy will use the funds for the treatment and rehabilitation of miners who have failed screenings for prescription drugs, or who voluntarily admit to a prescription drug problem, and enter into treatment or rehabilitation agreements with the Board of Coal Mining Examiners. The funds will assist the Division of Mines in implementing legislation passed in 2007 with a purpose of controlling substance abuse, including abuse of prescription drugs such as OxyContin, in the coal mining industry. This legislation was sponsored by Sen. Puckett and Del. Bill Carrico (R-Independence). The legislation was supported by Sen. Wampler, Del. Bud Phillips (D-Dickenson County) and Del. Kilgore.

All three agencies will work together to coordinate their efforts so that they can maximize use of the funds and avoid duplication of efforts.

The civil settlement in May 2007, from which these grant funds came, addressed claims that Purdue engaged in extensive off-label marketing of OxyContin and failed to adequately disclose abuse and diversion risks associated with the drug in violation of state civil consumer protection laws. In addition to the $19.5 million that Purdue agreed to pay to the states involved, the settlement also:

Prohibits Purdue from marketing OxyContin in a manner that is inconsistent with the FDA approved package insert for the drug;

Prohibits Purdue from misrepresenting OxyContin’s potential for abuse, addiction or physical dependence;

Prohibits Purdue from marketing OxyContin for “off-label” purposes – those beyond the FDA approved indications and usages for the drug;

Requires Purdue to have recipients of grants relating to OxyContin publicly disclose the existence of funding from Purdue in connection with any resulting study or research report; and

Prohibits Purdue from basing sales representatives’ compensation exclusively on the volume of OxyContin sales, and requires Purdue to take into account in performance evaluations of sales representatives that they inform prescribers about OxyContin’s potential for abuse and diversion.

The settlement also requires Purdue to maintain an OxyContin abuse and diversion detection program that Purdue established internally to identify potential abuse or diversion of OxyContin. Under the program, Purdue sales representatives are required to report prescribing activities that might indicate abuse or diversion of the drug. Upon identification of potential abuse or diversion, Purdue is required to conduct an internal inquiry and take further steps as may be appropriate, such as ceasing the promotion of Purdue products to the prescriber or reporting such potential abuse or diversion to medical, regulatory or law enforcement authorities.