Entertainment
By Jordan Lee
Updated: Dec. 1, 2020
Originally Published: Feb. 25, 2020
I was nearing 30 before I first encountered the term “opioid crisis,” which highlights just how unaware I was as a child. My father developed a dependency on painkillers following his first stomach surgery in the fall of ’88. While I can’t speak for everyone with an addicted parent, I felt profoundly adrift and, more critically, incredibly isolated. I struggled to comprehend my father’s erratic behavior.
This aspect of the opioid crisis is often overlooked. My father didn’t seek drugs in the shadows of some urban alley; he received his prescriptions from a physician. Initially, his actions appeared as routine as catching a cold. We all believed he was simply unwell, and each visit to a new doctor resulted in a fresh diagnosis and more pills. Gradually, he lost weight, his teeth decayed, and the essence of who he was faded away, until he succumbed to his addiction a decade later, living alone in a dilapidated one-bedroom apartment in rural Utah.
Years later, I came to understand that he had been ensnared in a much larger system, one where healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical companies facilitated his descent into addiction.
This is precisely why “The Pharmacist” on Netflix holds such significance. It casts a glaring spotlight on a system that has transformed countless lives—mothers, fathers, children, siblings—into addicts for the sake of profit. The docuseries chronicles Dan Miller’s quest in the late ’90s and early 2000s as he seeks justice for his son’s tragic death linked to a bad drug deal. This loss compels him to reevaluate the opioid prescriptions being dispensed from his own pharmacy, leading him to question whether he inadvertently contributed to the harm.
Reflecting on my father’s death in December 2001, I found myself revisiting memories as I watched this four-part docuseries address issues I was too young to fully grasp but found hauntingly familiar. My father may not have frequented a pain clinic like the one run by Dr. Benson in Dan Miller’s small town near New Orleans, but I vividly recall accompanying him to numerous doctors, always leaving with an array of prescriptions. My brother and I would jokingly refer to his physicians as his “drug dealers,” a sentiment echoed by many during that era.
What struck me most while watching “The Pharmacist” was the complicity of various professionals—from drug representatives to healthcare providers—in the rampant over-prescription of addictive opioids. In the fourth episode, former Purdue Pharma sales rep Alex Grant admits that everyone involved was fully aware of the implications of their actions, yet they chose to feign ignorance, driven by greed. Between 1995 and 2001, OxyContin generated a staggering $2.8 billion in revenue for Purdue Pharma, a sum powerful enough to cloud the judgment of many.
I recall a particular visit to a doctor with my father when I was about 15. As I sat in the waiting area doing schoolwork, the doctor emerged, mentioned my father by name, and instructed the receptionist to prevent him from securing future appointments due to his addiction. The doctor even suggested contacting the police. This was the only instance I witnessed a healthcare provider confront my father about his problem, but instead of offering rehabilitation, the response was a suggestion to involve law enforcement. This is especially disheartening when I think about my father’s repeated arrests for drug-related offenses, yet he was never directed toward recovery options.
Watching “The Pharmacist” raises a poignant question: if there had been a Dan Miller in rural Utah back in the late ’90s, would my children have had a grandfather today? This is why I believe “The Pharmacist” is the most crucial show streaming at present. It illuminates a pressing issue many have experienced and will continue to confront. The series takes a hard look at a systemic failure within the healthcare industry, how it has let us down, and how we as individuals can take action to save lives. As the child of a former drug addict, I can confidently say the series is monumental.
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Summary:
“The Pharmacist” on Netflix is a vital series that explores the opioid crisis through the lens of Dan Miller, whose investigation into his son’s overdose leads to a deeper understanding of the healthcare industry’s role in perpetuating addiction. The show sheds light on systemic failures and challenges viewers to confront the ongoing impact of this epidemic on families and communities.
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“The Pharmacist Netflix docuseries”
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