Ep. 261 - The True Cost of the Opioid Crisis

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In August, a closely watched Oklahoma opioid trial concluded. Johnson & Johnson was found guilty of deceptive marketing practices and public nuisance, the judge awarded the state $572 Million to cover the first year of abatement. However, the judge later announced he had made a $107 million miscalculation. Instead of $572 million, the amount awarded to Oklahoma was actually $465 Million. The miscalculation brought an outcry among Oklahoma state attorneys, mental health specialists, and addiction experts. All claim that the true cost of the opioid crisis is much higher than $572 million, and will take at least 20 years to resolve. After this surprising announcement, we decided to try to answer the question: What are the latest cost estimates of the opioid crisis, and how do they correlate to the judgment awarded in Oklahoma? Our guests on today’s episode, Dale Hall and Dr. Christopher Ruhm, share the results of their research. Together, they detail the massive financial burden Big Pharma has placed on our country and break down the Judge’s award against Johnson & Johnson. Join us for today’s podcast with Dale Hall and Dr. Christopher Ruhm, to hear the true cost of the opioid crisis.