Zelanator reviewed American pain by John Temple
Review of 'American pain' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Short review: this is an outstanding true crime book about two young men in Florida who started a chain of pain clinics during the height of the OxyContin prescription craze between 2005 and 2011. The flagship clinic, known as American Pain, was merely a front for legalized drug dealing. The two men hired unscrupulous doctors who were either strapped for cash or looking for quick pay and proceeded to dispense millions of prescription opioids to out-of-state addicts over a period of about two years.
How does this book fit into the broader literature on the heroin and opioid epidemic in America? Primarily by illustrating just how difficult it is to prosecute negligent doctors who are skirting the lines of legality in overprescribing pills. This is a topic that most other books like Dreamland, Chasing the Scream, Dopesick, and others do not really touch on in a major way.
Highly recommended.
