Opioids made it impossible to run his family business, so he became an undercover cop

Apr 3, 2019
Bucky Culbertson's career has followed the booms and busts of Wise County, up to his current job fighting the opioid epidemic.
Bucky Culbertson in his office, January 2019.
Ben Hethcoat/Marketplace

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma to stop marketing opioids to doctors

Purdue’s promotions exaggerated the drug’s safety and risks of addiction, leaning heavily on one sentence used by sales reps to market the drug to doctors.
The prescription medicine OxyContin is displayed Aug. 21, 2001 at a Walgreens drugstore.
Darren McCollester/Getty Images

A drugmaker used “The Wizard of Oz” to sell OxyContin

Dec 15, 2017
In an internal sales document, Purdue told sales reps to “follow the yellow brick road” and get doctors to prescribe the opioid.
Publicity photo from the 1939 adaptation for "The Wizard of Oz," which inspired a pharmaceutical sales document.
CBS via Wikimedia Commons

In Ohio's opioid crisis, Medicaid cutbacks could be disastrous

Jun 30, 2017
At the epicenter of the opioid crisis, a Medicaid rollback could be terrible for Ohioans
Activists and family members of loved ones who died in the opioid/heroin epidemic take part in a "Fed Up!" rally at Capitol Hill on Sept. 18, 2016, in Washington, D.C.
John Moore/Getty Images