DrugRehab.com provides information regarding illicit and prescription drug
addiction, the various populations at risk for the disease, current statistics and trends, and
psychological disorders that often accompany addiction. You will also find information on spotting
the signs and symptoms of substance use and hotlines for immediate assistance.
Treatment for addiction takes many forms and depends on the needs of the individual.
In accordance with the American Society of Addiction Medicine, we offer information on
outcome-oriented treatment that adheres to an established continuum of care. In this section, you
will find information and resources related to evidence-based treatment models, counseling and
therapy and payment and insurance options.
Treatment for addiction takes many forms and depends on the needs of the
individual. In accordance with the American Society of Addiction Medicine, we offer
information on outcome-oriented treatment that adheres to an established continuum of
care. In this section, you will find information and resources related to evidence-based
treatment models, counseling and therapy and payment and insurance options.
The recovery process doesn't end after 90 days of treatment. The transition back to
life outside of rehab is fraught with the potential for relapse. Aftercare resources such as
12-step groups, sober living homes and support for family and friends promote a life rich with
rewarding relationships and meaning.
Our community offers unique perspectives on lifelong recovery and substance use
prevention, empowering others through stories of strength and courage. From people in active
recovery to advocates who have lost loved ones to the devastating disease of addiction, our
community understands the struggle and provides guidance born of personal experience.
A former Drug Enforcement Administration chief claims that Congress, lobbyists and the drug industry conspired to restrict the agency’s ability to halt suspicious drug shipments that contribute to the opioid epidemic, according to a joint investigation by The Washington Post and “60 Minutes.”
Limiting the DEA’s power allowed drug distributors to provide corrupt pharmacies and pain clinics across the United States with an overabundance of prescription opioids, which then filtered into the black market.
“This is an industry that allowed millions and millions of drugs to go into bad pharmacies and doctors’ offices, that distributed them out to people who had no legitimate need for those drugs,” Joe Rannazzisi, who served as deputy assistant administrator of the DEA’s Office of Diversion Control from 2006 to 2015, told “60 Minutes.”
He said the three largest distributors — Cardinal Health, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen — have shipped a bevy of suspicious orders for prescription opioids to unreliable clinics in areas greatly affected by the epidemic, including West Virginia.
On Oct. 16, a day after a report on the investigation aired on “60 Minutes,” President Donald Trump said that he will soon declare the opioid crisis a national emergency, fulfilling a promise he made in August. He also said that he will release details next week on how his administration will combat the epidemic.
“This country and, frankly, the world has a drug problem,” Trump told reporters at a news conference. “We’re going to do something about it.”
The opioid crisis is the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 91 Americans die of opioid overdose every day. Since 1999, the number of overdose deaths involving heroin and prescription opioids has quadrupled.
How Drug Distributors Influenced Congress
During his time with the DEA, Rannazzisi aggressively pursued drug companies who supplied opioids to pill mills. When the DEA discovered that drug distributors were ignoring obligations to report suspicious drug orders, the agency threatened to revoke their registrations.
In 2008, the DEA fined McKesson and Cardinal Health for filling hundreds of suspicious orders for prescription opioids. Over a decade, the government assessed 17 cases against 13 drug companies and one manufacturer, which led to $425 million in fines.
Powerful drug companies eventually used their money and influence to pressure the DEA to tone down their distribution restrictions, according to Rannazzisi. As a result, DEA executives began demanding from investigators more evidence of wrongdoing before prosecuting distributors.
Jonathan Novak, former DEA attorney, said that many lawyers who worked for the agency accepted higher-paying positions to defend the drug companies. These litigators, who knew all the weak points in the DEA’s cases, told DEA executives that many cases filed against drug companies would not win in court.
“Addiction rate was still increasing,” said Rannazzisi. “The amount of people seeking treatment was still increasing. It was all increasing. Still, the amount of prescriptions were increasing. And we started slowing down.”
Then, in 2015, Pennsylvania Rep. Tom Marino and Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn introduced the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act.
The bill required the DEA to provide evidence that a company’s actions demonstrate an immediate threat to public health before the agency can suspend shipments. A 2015 Justice Department memo later obtained by investigators with “60 Minutes” and The Washington Post said the legislation could increase drug diversion, abuse and public health consequences.
The bill was written by Linden Barber, former associate chief counsel for the DEA who now serves as senior vice president at Cardinal Health.
“It’s not surprising that this bill, that has intimate knowledge of the way that DEA, you know, regulations are enforced, the way that those laws work, was written by someone who spent a lot of time there, charged a lot of cases there,” said Novak.
Political action committees representing the drug industry contributed at least $1.5 million to lawmakers who sponsored or co-sponsored four versions of the legislation. From 2014 to 2016, drug companies spent $102 million lobbying Congress to support the bill.
Rannazzisi testified against the bill before Congress. He referenced opioid-related death statistics in 2010 and claimed that the bill would protect drug companies under DEA investigation. However, he could not convince Congress to reject the bill.
Former President Barack Obama signed the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act into law in April 2016.
“I just don’t understand why Congress would pass a bill that strips us of our authority in the height of an opioid epidemic in places like Congressman Marino’s district and [Congresswoman] Blackburn’s district,” said Rannazzisi.
In September 2017, Trump nominated Marino to be the next head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. However, on Oct. 17, two days after the investigation was released, Marino withdrew his name from consideration for the position.
DEA Responds to Investigation
On Oct. 16, the DEA responded to the investigation. The agency reaffirmed its commitment to ending the opioid crisis, referring to its removal of about 900 registrations each year to prevent corrupt physicians and pharmacies from worsening the epidemic.
“Increasingly, our investigators initiated more than 10,000 cases and averaged more than 2,000 arrests per year,” the DEA said in a statement.
Ian D. Prior, principal deputy director of public affairs at the Justice Department, said in a statement that the Trump administration is dedicated to curbing the pill diversion that has resulted in thousands of deaths across the country.
However, the DEA did not dispute any claims made in the investigation.
Former DEA acting administrator Chuck Rosenberg, who served from May 2015 to October 2017, told CBS News that he does not intend to watch the “60 Minutes” story.
Medical Disclaimer: DrugRehab.com aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.
Matt Gonzales is a writer and researcher for DrugRehab.com. He graduated with a degree in journalism from East Carolina University and began his professional writing career in 2011. Matt covers the latest drug trends and shares inspirational stories of people who have overcome addiction. Certified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in health literacy, Matt leverages his experience in addiction research to provide hope to those struggling with substance use disorders.
Calls will be answered by a qualified admissions representative with Advanced Recovery Systems (ARS), the owners of DrugRehab.com. We look forward to helping you!
Phone calls to treatment center listings not associated with ARS will go directly to those centers. DrugRehab.com and ARS are not responsible for those calls.
