Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America

Beth Macy chronicles the rise of the opioid crisis within the Appalachian region, documenting how the aggressive marketing of OxyContin by Purdue Pharma ignited a public health disaster. The narrative traces the path of addiction from suburban living rooms and rural clinics to the federal courtrooms where prosecutors attempted to hold corporate executives accountable. Macy details specific instances of medical misinformation, the systemic failure of regulatory oversight, and the evolution of the black market as prescription users transitioned to heroin and illicit fentanyl to satisfy physical dependency.

This book serves healthcare professionals, policy makers, and families navigating the realities of substance use disorder. Readers gain a clear understanding of the pharmacological mechanisms of addiction and the socio-economic factors that made distressed coal and manufacturing towns vulnerable to exploitation. By examining the intersections of corporate greed and flawed medical guidelines, the text provides a factual foundation for those seeking to dismantle the stigma surrounding treatment and advocate for systemic changes in how the American medical system manages chronic pain.