In The News

Principal Rich Collins Featured in Daily Journal Column “Prescription Drug Overdose: Who’s to Blame”

(filed under: In The News | February 28, 2013)

Principal Rich Collins authored a column on the recent spate of civil suits against doctors and pharmacies for overprescribing opioid pain medication. His column addresses the issue of addiction in medical malpractice claims and statutory claims, such as the Drug Dealer Liability Act.

Prescription Drug Overdose: Who’s to Blame?
By Richard T. Collins

Breaking news reports of celebrity deaths linked to prescription drugs have become commonplace. Some fans only speak fondly of these fallen stars. But there is a large contingent whose immediate reaction is, “It’s sad, but nobody was forcing the pills down their throats.”

As many as 105 people die everyday in the United States from drug overdoses, 60% of which are caused by prescription drugs. Is this a lack of moral will by drug using degenerates, or is there an underlying problem about how these people acquire their prescription drugs that needs serious attention?

When Erin Marie Daly, a San Francisco-based freelance journalist and founder of Oxy Watchdog, a blog containing an invaluable source of information on prescription drug addiction, courageously shared the story of her brother’s addiction to OxyContin and ultimate death, she received heartless emails from people saying that, “addicts like [her] brother deserved to die because they were worthless junkies.” See Erin Marie Daly, “Renewing The Fight In The New Year,” OxyWatchdog.com, Jan. 3.

No life is worthless. And no addict has free will. This author believes there is another side to these stories. And the other side involves questionable practices by doctors and pharmacies who make money by perpetuating an addiction, or who turn a blind eye because of the money involved.

The thorough investigative journalism by Scott Glover and Lisa Girion of the Los Angeles Times, “Dying for relief: A Times Investigation,” (Nov. 11, 2012), has cast a broad and bright light on the role of rogue physicians and pharmacists in the prescription drug epidemic. Federal, state and local law enforcement have conducted in-depth investigations and prosecutors have taken to task those who manufacture, distribute and dispense prescription drugs for an illegitimate purpose.

Most doctors who prescribe controlled substances operate within the law and their professional duties. But there is a small outlier group of doctors and pharmacies that should be brought to justice. The Times investigation revealed that of 3,733 prescription drug-related deaths in four Southern California counties, only 71 doctors – one-tenth of 1 percent in those counties – had written prescriptions in 17 percent of such fatalities over six years.

Civil suits against physicians and pharmacists should be filed in appropriate cases, following the state Legislature’s suggestion that the civil justice system be employed as another weapon against drug abuse, providing compensation for those who have suffered harm, shifting the cost from the community, and serving as an additional deterrent. Health & Safety Code Section 11702.

Specific state statutes govern prescriptions for controlled substances. A doctor can only prescribe a controlled substance for a legitimate medical purpose. “The responsibility for the proper prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances is upon the prescribing practitioner, but a corresponding responsibility rests with the pharmacist who fills the prescription.” Health & Safety Code Section 11153. A doctor shall not prescribe for, or administer, and a pharmacist shall not dispense a controlled substance to an addict. Health & Safety Code Section 11156.

Violation of these specific statutory duties may be deemed negligence per se. Evidence Code Section 669. Medical malpractice by physicians and pharmacists in prescribing and dispensing prescription drugs may also be established through expert witness testimony. In wrongful death lawsuits against physicians and pharmacists for the prescription overdose death of a patient, the spouses, children, parents and siblings of the deceased patient should be prepared for a vigorous defense of comparative negligence and the vilification of their loved ones.

It is worth noting that the National Institute on Drug Abuse defines drug addiction as follows: “Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences to the addicted individual and to those around him or her. Although the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary for most people, the brain changes that occur over time challenge an addicted person’s self control and hamper his or her ability to resist intense impulses to take drugs.”

Although medical science demonstrates the fallacy of the comparative negligence defense, the over-prescribing doctors’ attorneys will insist on presenting such a defense. You cannot really say that a drug user was exercising free choice if that person was addicted. This notion is reflected in California’s Drug Dealer Liability Act (DDLA).

In addition to the usual torts available to pursue the small percentage of doctors and pharmacies responsible for the overuse and misuse of prescription drugs, patients and related third parties (e.g. a parent, spouse, child, sibling, employer or insurer of the substance user) may also file suit under the DDLA, which allows persons injured as a result of the use of an illegal controlled substance to recover damages from those persons responsible for marketing the controlled substances, shifting the cost of the damage to those who illegally profit from that market, and establishing the prospect of substantial monetary loss as a deterrent. Health & Safety Code Section 11701.

When doctors write prescriptions for no legitimate medical purpose and pharmacists blindly fill those prescriptions, they are not acting as health care providers. They instead are engaged in “the marketing and distribution of illegal controlled substances” and their action should lead to civil liability under the DDLA. Plaintiffs other than the individual user of the drug cannot be charged with comparative negligence and an individual user is only subject to the principles of comparative fault (Health & Safety Code Section 11706) if the defendant can prove it by clear and convincing evidence (Health & Safety Code Section 11710).

Those who remain skeptical and cannot imagine why a health care professional would risk his or her license by illegally prescribing and dispensing prescription drugs should consider the following staggering statistics:

  • Sales of opioid painkillers to pharmacies and health care providers have increased by more than 300 percent since 1999. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC Vital Signs Report, November 2011.
  • The number of deaths involving opioid painkillers more than tripled from 1999 to 2008. “Prescription Drug Diversion: Combating the Scourge,” March 1, 2012, page 2, citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Aug. 20, 2010.
  • Enough prescription painkillers were prescribed in 2010 to medicate every American adult around-the-clock for a month. CDC Vital Signs Report.

The problem of over-prescribing drugs and over-filling the prescriptions is pervasive and persistent because billions of dollars are at stake for the doctors and pharmacists pushing the drugs and, most of all, Big Pharma. Civil litigation in appropriate cases should be employed in an effort to deter this illegal conduct.

Richard T. Collins is a principal in Berger Kahn ALC’s Orange County office and specializes in serious personal injury and wrongful death claims including litigation involving prescription overdose deaths. He can be reached at RCollins@bergerkahn.com.

xosotin chelseathông tin chuyển nhượngcâu lạc bộ bóng đá arsenalbóng đá atalantabundesligacầu thủ haalandUEFAevertonxosokeonhacaiketquabongdalichthidau7m.newskqbdtysokeobongdabongdalufutebol ao vivofutemaxmulticanaisonbethttps://bsport.fithttps://onbet88.ooohttps://i9bet.bizhttps://hi88.ooohttps://okvip.athttps://f8bet.athttps://fb88.cashhttps://vn88.cashhttps://shbet.atbóng đá world cupbóng đá inter milantin juventusbenzemala ligaclb leicester cityMUman citymessi lionelsalahnapolineymarpsgronaldoserie atottenhamvalenciaAS ROMALeverkusenac milanmbappenapolinewcastleaston villaliverpoolfa cupreal madridpremier leagueAjaxbao bong da247EPLbarcelonabournemouthaff cupasean footballbên lề sân cỏbáo bóng đá mớibóng đá cúp thế giớitin bóng đá ViệtUEFAbáo bóng đá việt namHuyền thoại bóng đágiải ngoại hạng anhSeagametap chi bong da the gioitin bong da lutrận đấu hôm nayviệt nam bóng đátin nong bong daBóng đá nữthể thao 7m24h bóng đábóng đá hôm naythe thao ngoai hang anhtin nhanh bóng đáphòng thay đồ bóng đábóng đá phủikèo nhà cái onbetbóng đá lu 2thông tin phòng thay đồthe thao vuaapp đánh lô đềdudoanxosoxổ số giải đặc biệthôm nay xổ sốkèo đẹp hôm nayketquaxosokq xskqxsmnsoi cầu ba miềnsoi cau thong kesxkt hôm naythế giới xổ sốxổ số 24hxo.soxoso3mienxo so ba mienxoso dac bietxosodientoanxổ số dự đoánvé số chiều xổxoso ket quaxosokienthietxoso kq hôm nayxoso ktxổ số megaxổ số mới nhất hôm nayxoso truc tiepxoso ViệtSX3MIENxs dự đoánxs mien bac hom nayxs miên namxsmientrungxsmn thu 7con số may mắn hôm nayKQXS 3 miền Bắc Trung Nam Nhanhdự đoán xổ số 3 miềndò vé sốdu doan xo so hom nayket qua xo xoket qua xo so.vntrúng thưởng xo sokq xoso trực tiếpket qua xskqxs 247số miền nams0x0 mienbacxosobamien hôm naysố đẹp hôm naysố đẹp trực tuyếnnuôi số đẹpxo so hom quaxoso ketquaxstruc tiep hom nayxổ số kiến thiết trực tiếpxổ số kq hôm nayso xo kq trực tuyenkết quả xổ số miền bắc trực tiếpxo so miền namxổ số miền nam trực tiếptrực tiếp xổ số hôm nayket wa xsKQ XOSOxoso onlinexo so truc tiep hom nayxsttso mien bac trong ngàyKQXS3Msố so mien bacdu doan xo so onlinedu doan cau loxổ số kenokqxs vnKQXOSOKQXS hôm naytrực tiếp kết quả xổ số ba miềncap lo dep nhat hom naysoi cầu chuẩn hôm nayso ket qua xo soXem kết quả xổ số nhanh nhấtSX3MIENXSMB chủ nhậtKQXSMNkết quả mở giải trực tuyếnGiờ vàng chốt số OnlineĐánh Đề Con Gìdò số miền namdò vé số hôm nayso mo so debach thủ lô đẹp nhất hôm naycầu đề hôm naykết quả xổ số kiến thiết toàn quốccau dep 88xsmb rong bach kimket qua xs 2023dự đoán xổ số hàng ngàyBạch thủ đề miền BắcSoi Cầu MB thần tàisoi cau vip 247soi cầu tốtsoi cầu miễn phísoi cau mb vipxsmb hom nayxs vietlottxsmn hôm naycầu lô đẹpthống kê lô kép xổ số miền Bắcquay thử xsmnxổ số thần tàiQuay thử XSMTxổ số chiều nayxo so mien nam hom nayweb đánh lô đề trực tuyến uy tínKQXS hôm nayxsmb ngày hôm nayXSMT chủ nhậtxổ số Power 6/55KQXS A trúng roycao thủ chốt sốbảng xổ số đặc biệtsoi cầu 247 vipsoi cầu wap 666Soi cầu miễn phí 888 VIPSoi Cau Chuan MBđộc thủ desố miền bắcthần tài cho sốKết quả xổ số thần tàiXem trực tiếp xổ sốXIN SỐ THẦN TÀI THỔ ĐỊACầu lô số đẹplô đẹp vip 24hsoi cầu miễn phí 888xổ số kiến thiết chiều nayXSMN thứ 7 hàng tuầnKết quả Xổ số Hồ Chí Minhnhà cái xổ số Việt NamXổ Số Đại PhátXổ số mới nhất Hôm Nayso xo mb hom nayxxmb88quay thu mbXo so Minh ChinhXS Minh Ngọc trực tiếp hôm nayXSMN 88XSTDxs than taixổ số UY TIN NHẤTxs vietlott 88SOI CẦU SIÊU CHUẨNSoiCauVietlô đẹp hôm nay vipket qua so xo hom naykqxsmb 30 ngàydự đoán xổ số 3 miềnSoi cầu 3 càng chuẩn xácbạch thủ lônuoi lo chuanbắt lô chuẩn theo ngàykq xo-solô 3 càngnuôi lô đề siêu vipcầu Lô Xiên XSMBđề về bao nhiêuSoi cầu x3xổ số kiến thiết ngày hôm nayquay thử xsmttruc tiep kết quả sxmntrực tiếp miền bắckết quả xổ số chấm vnbảng xs đặc biệt năm 2023soi cau xsmbxổ số hà nội hôm naysxmtxsmt hôm nayxs truc tiep mbketqua xo so onlinekqxs onlinexo số hôm nayXS3MTin xs hôm nayxsmn thu2XSMN hom nayxổ số miền bắc trực tiếp hôm naySO XOxsmbsxmn hôm nay188betlink188 xo sosoi cầu vip 88lô tô việtsoi lô việtXS247xs ba miềnchốt lô đẹp nhất hôm naychốt số xsmbCHƠI LÔ TÔsoi cau mn hom naychốt lô chuẩndu doan sxmtdự đoán xổ số onlinerồng bạch kim chốt 3 càng miễn phí hôm naythống kê lô gan miền bắcdàn đề lôCầu Kèo Đặc Biệtchốt cầu may mắnkết quả xổ số miền bắc hômSoi cầu vàng 777thẻ bài onlinedu doan mn 888soi cầu miền nam vipsoi cầu mt vipdàn de hôm nay7 cao thủ chốt sốsoi cau mien phi 7777 cao thủ chốt số nức tiếng3 càng miền bắcrồng bạch kim 777dàn de bất bạion newsddxsmn188betw88w88789bettf88sin88suvipsunwintf88five8812betsv88vn88Top 10 nhà cái uy tínsky88iwinlucky88nhacaisin88oxbetm88vn88w88789betiwinf8betrio66rio66lucky88oxbetvn88188bet789betMay-88five88one88sin88bk88xbetoxbetMU88188BETSV88RIO66ONBET88188betM88M88SV88Jun-68Jun-88one88iwinv9betw388OXBETw388w388onbetonbetonbetonbet88onbet88onbet88onbet88onbetonbetonbetonbetqh88mu88Nhà cái uy tínpog79vp777vp777vipbetvipbetuk88uk88typhu88typhu88tk88tk88sm66sm66me88me888live8live8livesm66me88win798livesm66me88win79pog79pog79vp777vp777uk88uk88tk88tk88luck8luck8kingbet86kingbet86k188k188hr99hr99123b8xbetvnvipbetsv66zbettaisunwin-vntyphu88vn138vwinvwinvi68ee881xbetrio66zbetvn138i9betvipfi88clubcf68onbet88ee88typhu88onbetonbetkhuyenmai12bet-moblie12betmoblietaimienphi247vi68clupcf68clupvipbeti9betqh88onb123onbefsoi cầunổ hũbắn cáđá gàđá gàgame bàicasinosoi cầuxóc đĩagame bàigiải mã giấc mơbầu cuaslot gamecasinonổ hủdàn đềBắn cácasinodàn đềnổ hũtài xỉuslot gamecasinobắn cáđá gàgame bàithể thaogame bàisoi cầukqsssoi cầucờ tướngbắn cágame bàixóc đĩa开云体育开云体育开云体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育亚新体育亚新体育亚新体育爱游戏爱游戏爱游戏华体会华体会华体会IM体育IM体育沙巴体育沙巴体育PM体育PM体育AG尊龙AG尊龙AG尊龙AG百家乐AG百家乐AG百家乐AG真人AG真人<AG真人<皇冠体育皇冠体育PG电子PG电子万博体育万博体育KOK体育KOK体育欧宝体育江南体育江南体育江南体育半岛体育半岛体育半岛体育凯发娱乐凯发娱乐杏彩体育杏彩体育杏彩体育FB体育PM真人PM真人<米乐娱乐米乐娱乐天博体育天博体育开元棋牌开元棋牌j9九游会j9九游会开云体育AG百家乐AG百家乐AG真人AG真人爱游戏华体会华体会im体育kok体育开云体育开云体育开云体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育欧宝体育ob体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育开云体育开云体育棋牌棋牌沙巴体育买球平台新葡京娱乐开云体育mu88qh88