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| RE: Mass Marketing, Mis-Prescription
and Need for Regulation of Oxycontin My name is Marianne Skolek and I live in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. My 29-year old daughter, Jill died on April 30, 2002 as a result of prescribed Oxycontin for a herniated disk. Her 6-year old son, Brian found her “sleeping” when he returned from school. He called 911 the following morning when he couldn’t wake his Mommy and said, “I think I need your help.” I have begun an aggressive effort to have this drug (which was approved by the FDA in 1995 for terminally ill cancer patients by Purdue Pharmaceutical) marketed responsibly with physicians being instructed of the risks of this drug. There is a high propensity for addiction – although Purdue refers to the side effect of the drug as “dependence” and not addiction. This drug has made its mark in the pharmaceutical industry not only in the amount of abuse of the drug, the deaths related to the drug, but the $1.4 billion Purdue made on this drug alone last year. Oxycontin is the most controversial drug to be approved by the FDA in the past two decades. If you need confirmation of this statement, please go on the Internet and read the websites – there is considerable information you need to be aware of. You held Senate hearings in 2002 on this drug for 5 days. Senate hearings need to be continued in 2003 to prevent further deaths. I do not want the drug taken away from people it was intended for – terminally ill cancer patients – those who are properly prescribed the drug and more importantly properly monitored by their physicians. I want Purdue Pharmaceutical to act out of concern for the lives of people who are prescribed this drug and those people who are obtaining the drug illegally – not to have them act out of the potential revenue that can be earned. If they can make over $1,000,000,000 a year on OxyContin sales, they can make the drug tamper resistant. Jill did not have to die and she did not have to leave a 6-year-old son without his Mommy. We want responsible marketing, prescribing and regulation of this potentially lethal drug. It is not a miracle drug. If a physician contemplates prescribing it, we want them to question their patients regarding any unusual side effects they may experience and to monitor their patients carefully while they are taking this drug. Physicians need to know there is potential for addiction and respiratory arrest while their patient(s) are taking Oxycontin. I ask for your help Senator. Senate hearings have to be put on the calendar for 2003. Please call me. Jill did not have to die. Thank you. Marianne Skolek |
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