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Feb-04-2012 18:32printcomments

Conflicting Interests in Ohio Over OxyContin

Marianne Skolek Salem-News.com

“Anything is better than lies and deceit!” - Leo Tolstoy

Is there a place in this fight where Purdue Pharma officials don't have past or current people in place?
Is there a place in this fight where Purdue Pharma officials don't have past or current people in place?

(MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.) - On January 12, Danna Droz (RPh, JD), Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) Administrator for the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy conducted a presentation at Findlay College on Ohio's Pill Mill Bill HB 93 and its impact on health care.  A link to Ms. Droz's presentation is provided here http://www.findlay.edu/NR/rdonlyres/06821C25-1703-46F6-AABE-9D736DEABAF6/0/HB93ImpactOnHealthCare.pdf

At the beginning of the presentation is a "disclaimer" which reads:

I, Danna Droz, have no significant financial interest or arrangements with any organization that could be perceived as a real or apparent conflict of interest in the context of the subject matter of this presentation. 

It appears that Ms. Droz has forgotten about an ethics investigation relating to her ties to the maker of OxyContin, Purdue Pharma.  The below may refresh her memory:

 
Monday, December 03, 2001
 
Ethics opinion sought on post
State official on drug maker's panel

The Associated Press
 
        FRANKFORT — The state's drug control manager is serving on a national advisory board funded by the manufacturer of the pain reliever OxyContin.
 
        Danna Droz, a manager for the drug control unit of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health Services, has been on the 14-member advisory board assembled by Purdue Pharma L.P., of Stamford Conn., since June.
 
        The Research Abuse Diversion Addiction Related Surveillance System, which is seeking solutions to deal with OxyContin abuse and other prescription drug abuse problems, advises the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.
 
        OxyContin, which became a problem in eastern Kentucky this year, led to the arrests of more than 200 people for trafficking in the drug in February. The drug is a powerful time-release pain killer that abusers either inject or snort for an immediate high.
 
        Dr. Rice Leach, commissioner for the Department of Public Health, requested an Executive Ethics Commission inquiry on whether Ms. Droz has conflict of interest with Purdue Pharma. A ruling is set for January.
 
        Ms. Droz is among othr current and former public officials working in some capacity with Purdue Pharma.
 
        Joe Famularo, a former U.S. attorney for Kentucky's Eastern District, has also been an unpaid consultant for the company.
 
        Ms. Droz, who also served on the Governor's OxyContin Task Force trying to address the OxyContin abuse problem, declined comment and referred all questions to Purdue Pharma.
 
Why would you refer requests to Purdue Pharma, Ms. Droz if you had no association with them?  I wrote about Ms. Droz and her allegiance to the maker of OxyContin in November 2011.  See link http://www.salem-news.com/articles/november272011/purdue-money-ms.php
 
In October 2011, the National Association of State Controlled Substances Authorities (NASCSA) accepted a $200,000 check from Purdue Pharma at the organization's 27th annual conference in Portland, Maine.
 
Ms. Droz serves on the Executive Committee of NASCSA in "Special Projects."   Alan Must, VP State Government & Legislative Affairs at Purdue Pharma, serves on the Membership Committee of the same association.
 
VA hospitals and clinics in Ohio can now check Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS) if staff suspects a patient of "doctor shopping."  However, as the database administrator, Ms. Droz advised the staff cannot input any prescriptions it writes or fills into the system,
  
In other words, VA doctors and pharmacists in Ohio have a complete picture of a patient's controlled-drug prescription history available to them, but the VA will be blocked from plugging into the system.  The majority of private physicians will be able to utilize the system.  Freely translated, veterans and their eligible family members could have their prescriptions filled by private doctors in practice -- the same prescriptions that had previously been filled at the VA.
 

"Today's vets have more access to private health care benefits through jobs or whatever else," Droz said. "Many get health care through the VA and the private system and could utilize both systems to get drugs of abuse.  "It's a major blind spot."
 
No, Ms. Droz the major blind spot is you being at the controls monitoring the prescription drug epidemic in Ohio and your ties to Purdue Pharma.  Ohio Department of Health officials say they are unable to supply the number of deaths attributed to opiates in 2011 or even 2010. But from 2004 to 2009, three to four people on average were dying every day from unintentional drug overdoses in Ohio. OxyContin and Opana were the biggest contributor to fatal overdoses in 2009.
 
So I got to thinking why would someone who graduated from the University of Kentucky, College of Pharmacy go on to graduate from Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville, and a member of the Kentucky and Ohio Bars not go into private law practice -- but choose to serve on a state pharmacy board.
 
Unless, of course, Ms. Droz is already in a private law practice -- working for the pharmaceutical industry -- possibly Purdue Pharma..  Wake up Ohio you have a fox in the hen house.
 
 

LP --  Only injectorpods know what I meant when I said "wibderful tune".  Thank you for fighting them off and keeping our world safe.  I treasure our "oh tay" life and your love of farina.
 

_________________________________

Salem-News.com Reporter Marianne Skolek, is an Activist for Victims of OxyContin and Purdue Pharma throughout the United States and Canada. In July 2007, she testified against Purdue Pharma in Federal Court in Virginia at the sentencing of their three CEO's - Michael Friedman, Howard Udell and Paul Goldenheim - who pleaded guilty to charges of marketing OxyContin as less likely to be addictive or abused to physicians and patients. She also testified against Purdue Pharma at a Judiciary Hearing of the U.S. Senate in July 2007. Marianne works with government agencies and private attorneys in having a voice for her daughter Jill, who died in 2002 after being prescribed OxyContin, as well as the voice for scores of victims of OxyContin. She has been involved in her work for the past 8-1/2 years and is currently working on a book that exposes Purdue Pharma for their continued criminal marketing of OxyContin.

Marianne is a nurse having graduated in 1991 as president of her graduating class. She also has a Paralegal certification. Marianne served on a Community Service Board for the Courier News, a Gannet newspaper in NJ writing articles predominantly regarding AIDS patients and their emotional issues. She was awarded a Community Service Award in 1993 by the Hunterdon County, NJ HIV/AIDS Task Force in recognition of and appreciation for the donated time, energy and love in facilitating a Support Group for persons with HIV/AIDS.

Marianne Skolek
National Activist for Victims of OxyContin and
Purdue Pharma - a criminally convicted pharmaceutical company
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