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Fueling an Epidemic: Insys Therapeutics and the Systemic Manipulation of Prior Authorization
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Abstract
At the request of Senator Claire McCaskill of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, an investigation concerning wide-ranging requests for documents related to opioid sales and marketing efforts to five major opioid manufactures was made. The opioid epidemic in America has exacted a staggering human and financial cost over the past 20 years. Approximately 183,000 Americans died in 2015 alone. Because of this, requests on behalf of Sen. McCaskill focuses on internal estimates concerning the risk of opioid addiction, compliance audits, and reports concerning sales and marketing policies, marketing and business plans, materials related to manufacturer payments to physicians and manufacturer-created physician presentations, funding of educational materials targeted to opioid-prescribing physicians, and funding for major pain advocacy groups and other groups. Drawing on this and other materials, this Minority Staff report was able to provide new information regarding the significant efforts Insys has undertaken to reduce barriers to the prescription of Subsys, its powerful fentanyl product. This information revealed that Insys Therapeutics has repeatedly employed aggressive and likely illegal techniques that boosted prescriptions for its fentanyl product Subsys. This report is part of an ongoing investigation, and the Minority Staff will continue to evaluate whether these efforts have resulted in a true transformation of the Insys corporate culture.
Date
2017-09-06
Document Type
Senate Minority Staff Report
Serial Number
Document Length
31 pages
Congress
115
Relation
DOI
Keywords
Staff Reports
PAP Major Code
3: Health
PAP Minor Code
342: Substance, Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Treatment and Education