Healthy Skepticism Library item: 494

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Publication type: news

Maine Inmate Sues OxyContin Maker
Join Together Online 2004 Aug 20

Full text:

An inmate in the Maine State Prison has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Bangor against Purdue Pharma, seeking to hold the maker of OxyContin responsible for his criminal behavior, the Bangor News reported Aug. 18.

Bracy Ashby, 38, of Lubec was prescribed OxyContin following knee surgery in 2000. According to the lawsuit, he became addicted to the painkiller within weeks, and the addiction led to his criminal actions.

Ashby was sentenced to four years in prison for holding a 28-year-old woman hostage in his home for 10 hours. He was charged in April 2003 with assault, criminal restraint, and criminal threatening.

The lawsuit seeks $100 million in damages and $800,000 in lost wages. Also named as defendants are the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a Maine hospital, independent and chain pharmacies operating in Maine, and Ashby’s physicians.

Purdue Pharma has 20 days to respond to the lawsuit.