Opioid drugs (71) What is the role of the pharmaceutical industry? (7)

19 May, 2026

An interesting commentary on the history of the legal opioid supply in the US and its ongoing global ramifications for the victims and the growers. The Sacklers, who owned Purdue Pharma, shifted from buying opium from India and Turkey to buying it from Tasmania, because it could be more easily converted to oxycodone, and that circumvented US laws controlling opium imports.

Published today in the New York Times. This link is free to view.

Opinion | Purdue Pharma Is Gone. What Comes Next Could Be Worse. (Gift Article)

nytimes.com

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/13/opinion/purdue-pharma-opioids.html?un...

Margaret

Margaret Winker, MD

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World Association of Medical Editors

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HIFA profile: Margaret Winker is Trustee and Past President of the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) and Director of the WAME eLearning Program. She is based in the US. Professional interests: WAME is a global association of editors of peer-reviewed medical journals who seek to foster cooperation and communication among editors, improve editorial standards, promote professionalism in medical editing through education, self-criticism, and self-regulation, and encourage research on the principles and practice of medical editing. margaretwinker AT gmail.com

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Margaret Winker