Painkiller

Series Overview

Painkiller is a limited series that explores some of the origins and aftermath of the opioid crisis in America, highlighting the stories of perpetrators, victims, and truth-seekers whose lives are forever altered by the invention of OxyContin. The narrative delves into the corporate greed of Purdue Pharma and the aggressive marketing tactics employed to push the drug into the mainstream medical market. The series weaves together multiple perspectives, including that of Richard Sackler, the architect of the drug's success, and Edie Flowers, an investigator who uncovers the devastating impact of the medication on communities. It serves as a harrowing examination of how a pharmaceutical company's pursuit of profit triggered one of the deadliest public health crises in modern history.