American Pain was one of the books on my TBR list this month and it did not disappoint.
This book is based around pain clinics in Florida after Oxycontin became popular. Florida was one of the states that did not make doctors send prescriptions to a pharmacy and they could sell it themselves. This provided a loophole for shop owners to make a significant profit and that profit was off the backs of individuals suffering from substance use disorder.
After the Sacklers released Oxycontin and promoted it to physicians across the country as nonaddictive, addiction and overdoses skyrocketed. The demand for this product was established and people love making money.
The story is centered around twin brothers and their friend Derick opening and operating pain clinics in Florida. Their dance on the line of keeping their business legal was intriguing and kept you on your toes. It also shows how companies stigmatize people with substance use disorder to displace the blame from themselves.
It was a quick read, and it opened my eyes to how far people will go to make easy cash.