The Netflix documentary Painkiller delivers a sobering exposé, revealing how Purdue Pharma’s calculated marketing ignited a devastating epidemic through the OxyContin opioid crisis. Specifically, Purdue’s tactics misled physicians and patients, leading to catastrophic addiction rates. According to the CDC, over 70,000 opioid-related overdose deaths occurred in 2021 alone, with prescription drugs like OxyContin driving the crisis. For a deeper dive into the crisis’s scale, see the Opioid Data. Purdue strategically rebranded oxycodone as OxyContin, cloaking its dangers in false promises of safety. This move didn’t represent innovation; instead, Purdue deliberately obscured risks, as the DEA’s OxyContin History reveals. Consequently, Painkiller compels viewers to confront this grim reality.

In an X post, @CamillusLellis writes on April 10, 2025: “When I was in residency we were told we had to go to a “mandatory” meeting. On arrival it was a lunch for an oxycontin promotion wherein we were told that opiates were not addictive when used for pain. Myself and another resident of Vietnamese heritage questioned this and were made out to be callous and uncaring. The opiate crisis is/was horrifying and when the Sackler revelations came out my eyes were truly opened to the potential evils of big pharma.”

When I was in residency we were told we had to go to a "mandatory" meeting. On arrival it was a lunch for an oxycontin promotion wherein we were told that opiates were not addictive when used for pain. Myself and another resident of Vietnamese heritage questioned this and were… pic.twitter.com/RH0gQZIy7c

— Camillus de Lellis (@CamillusLellis) April 11, 2025

OxyContin Opioid Crisis Exposed: A Sinister Rebrand Hook

Purdue didn’t just rename oxycodone—they set a predatory trap. Painkiller reveals that OxyContin’s time-release design promised consistent relief but often failed, leaving patients in withdrawal and craving more. A 2009 Pain Medicine study found that 20–30% of users developed dependency, directly debunking Purdue’s “less than 1%” claim. Access the evidence Pain Medicine Journal. Meanwhile, Purdue’s sales reps, motivated by bonuses, aggressively pushed doctors to prescribe higher doses. The documentary vividly depicts lavish conferences, highlighting the company’s greed. For details on their reformulation tactics, see the FDA OxyContinReformulation. In 2010, Purdue reformulated the drug—not to address addiction, but to extend patents and block generics, as the FDA documentation confirms. As a result, their sales tactics deepened the crisis.

OxyContin Opioid Crisis Exposed: Profits Over Patients

Here’s where it gets vile: The documentary Painkiller lays bare Purdue’s ruthless prioritization of wealth over human lives, exposing a chilling reality. In 2001, Purdue spent $200 million on marketing, bribing physicians with trips and fees to boost prescriptions. A 2018 JAMA Study confirms this corruption: showing that doctors paid by opioid makers prescribed 9% more opioids. Consequently, OxyContin sales skyrocketed from $44 million in 1996 to $3 billion by 2002, while patients suffered addiction or death. The NIH reports over 500,000 opioid overdose deaths from 1999 to 2020. See the NIH Data. Through these tactics, Purdue turned trusted doctors into unwitting enablers.

The Human Toll

Painkiller goes beyond data to humanize the wreckage. Families share heartbreaking stories of loved ones lost to overdoses, their lives unraveled by a drug Purdue marketed as salvation. A NEJM Opioid Crisis article reveals that every 1% rise in opioid prescriptions increases overdose deaths by 0.2%. Meanwhile, the Sackler family, Purdue’s owners, evaded prison, settling for billions while victims received little. Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a $7.4 billion settlement, holding them accountable, but this cannot undo the pain.

WATCH: Attorney General Ken Paxton Secures $7.4 BILLION Settlement With Purdue Pharma and Sackler Family for Role in Opioid Epidemic:

Will Justice Prevail?

Painkiller isn’t just a documentary—it’s a wake-up call, a clarion call for accountability. Purdue’s OxyContin wasn’t a medical breakthrough—it was a meticulously crafted disaster, profiting from addiction while lives crumbled. The opioid crisis persists, claiming thousands annually. This documentary demands we act—reform healthcare, punish greed, and protect patients. Will we rise to the challenge, or let corporate crimes fester? Share this truth. Demand change.

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