Last Podcast On The Left
Last Podcast On The Left
"You've got not necessarily affiliated with local hospitals or educational institutions. You've got cash only in this case. In this case, you've got clinics that were patrolled by armed guards. In this case, you've got clinics that don't really offer a wide variety of medical services. You don't even prescribe necessarily a wide variety of prescription medications." — Philip Isle
"The opioid epidemic was not a natural disaster it was not an earthquake it was not a tornado it was an entirely man made crisis that we are still dealing with the fallout from." — Philip Isle
"I think one of the most incriminating facts toward Volkman is if you sit with Paul Volkman in his apartment in Chicago and listen to his story of why he was under indictment and I did this for many hours. He's so smart and he has so many answers and he's so highly qualified that you can almost find it plausible as far as fetched as it is, but if you go down to this part of Ohio, they will tell you that three, four, five doctors were convicted of similar crimes before this guy and four, five, six, seven doctors were convicted of similar crimes after Volkman." — Philip Isle
The episode features author Philip Isle discussing his book "Prescription for Pain," which chronicles the story of Dr. Paul Volkman, a doctor who operated a notorious "pill mill." Isle elaborates on the defining characteristics of such clinics, which often operate outside of established medical institutions, demand cash payments, employ security, and focus on prescribing a narrow range of highly addictive medications, primarily opioid painkillers, muscle relaxants, and sedatives. This often occurs in areas with pre-existing economic hardship, contributing to a cycle of addiction and illicit drug distribution.
The discussion highlights the complex path that led Dr. Volkman, a highly educated individual with a promising career, to become a central figure in the prescription drug crisis. Isle emphasizes that Volkman's descent was not driven by addiction or personal vice but by a twisted psychology, a lack of empathy, and a series of professional failures, including malpractice suits and the loss of malpractice insurance. This created a desperate need for any form of medical employment, leading him to a cash-only pain clinic in southern Ohio, a region already struggling and later dubbed the "oxycontin capital of the world."
The conversation extends to the broader societal implications of the opioid epidemic, emphasizing that it was a man-made crisis with far-reaching consequences. Isle points to systemic failures across various entities, including pharmaceutical companies, distributors, regulatory bodies like the FDA, and even academic medicine, all of which played a role in enabling the crisis. The episode concludes with a discussion on potential solutions, advocating for destigmatization of addiction, free rehabilitation services, and a shift away from criminalizing low-level, non-violent drug offenses, while still holding perpetrators like Volkman accountable.