TV SERIES · 2021–2021 · USA
Dopesick
- Created by
- Danny Strong
- Network
- Hulu
- Seasons
- 1
- Episodes
- 8
- Studio
- The Littlefield Company, Danny Strong Productions, John Goldwyn Productions
46 archived facts 6 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
The story of how one company triggered the worst drug epidemic in American history. Look into the epicenter of America's struggle with opioid addiction, from a distressed Virginia mining community, to the hallways of the DEA, and to the opulence of "one percenter" Big Pharma Manhattan.
46 Interesting Facts About Dopesick
Interesting Facts (17)
- #001
It is one of several films, limited series and documentaries about the opioid crisis and the role of the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma that were released in the early 2020s. Others include the Netflix series Painkiller and the film Pain Hustlers, as well as the documentaries The Pharmacist, The Crime of the Century and All the Beauty and the Bloodshed.
- #002
In preparation for his role as attorney Rick Mountcastle, Peter Sarsgaard went to Dayton (OH) where he accompanied local police on ride-alongs, hung out with active opioid users, talked with afflicted family members and support groups, and went to a jail where he observed users trying to dry out. He has said that the hands-on experience transformed his perspective and imbued him with more empathy and understanding for the victims of the epidemic.
- #003
- #004
- #005
Contains a major spoiler — show
The 160 mg OxyContin pills that Purdue released became known as "OxyCoffins" because of their much higher likelihood of causing overdose. Some patients were able to tolerate much higher doses, and one was officially "studied" by the company to see how high a dose they could actually achieve.
- #006
Contains a major spoiler — show
In August 2023, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) temporarily blocked a nationwide six-billion-dollar settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family, that would shield members of the family from civil lawsuits over the effects of opioids. SCOTUS has agreed to hear arguments in December 2023. In July 2024, SCOTUS permanently overturned the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy settlement. That meant that the Sackler family was no longer necessarily shielded from potential future lawsuits over their role in the creating and exacerbating the opioid crisis, but it also meant that settlement funds that had been due to disburse to governments to create opioid response, mitigation, and treatment programs are now delayed indefinitely.
- #007
Contains a major spoiler — show
The nickname for the 160 mg OxyContin pills that Purdue put out became "OxyCoffins" due to their much higher likelihood of overdose factor. Some patients were able to tolerate much higher doses and one was officially "studied" by the company to see how high a dose they could actually achieve
- #008
While preparing for the role of lawyer Rick Mountcastle, Peter Sarsgaard traveled to Dayton, Ohio, where he rode along with local police, spent time with active opioid users, spoke with distressed family members and support groups, and visited a prison to observe users going through withdrawal. He said the hands-on experience changed his perspective and instilled in him greater empathy and understanding for the victims of the epidemic.
- #009
In August 2023, the United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) temporarily blocked a nationwide six-billion-dollar settlement that would have shielded OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, its owners the Sackler family, and family members from civil lawsuits over the effects of opioids. SCOTUS agreed to hear arguments in December 2023. In July 2024, SCOTUS permanently struck down Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy settlement. This meant the Sackler family was no longer protected from possible future lawsuits over its role in creating and exacerbating the opioid crisis; however, it also meant that settlement funds intended for distribution to governments to create opioid response, mitigation and treatment programs were now postponed indefinitely.
- #010
- #011
- #012
- #013
Betsy Mallum's parents strongly convey to her that coming out as a lesbian and living openly with her girlfriend is unacceptable; Betsy soon becomes addicted to OxyContin. Although Betsy is a fictional composite character, this aspect of her story also applies to numerous medical studies showing that rejection of LGBT children by their parents is associated with a higher likelihood of various problems, including a much greater chance of developing drug addiction in adolescence and adulthood. For example, a study published in the January 2009 issue of Pediatrics determined: "Higher rates of family rejection were significantly associated with poorer health outcomes. On the basis of odds ratios, lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults who reported higher levels of family rejection during adolescence were 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide, 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression, 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs, and 3.4 times more likely to report having engaged in unprotected sexual intercourse compared with peers from families that reported no or low levels of family rejection."
- #014
- #015
- #016
- #017
Production Story (18)
- #018
- #019
- #020
- #021
- #022
- #023
- #024
- #025
- #026
Peter Sarsgaard went to Dayton, Ohio, to prepare for the role of prosecutor Rick Mountcastle. There he rode along on patrols with police teams, spent time with active opioid users, spoke with addicted families and support groups, and observed users trying to detox in a prison. Sarsgaard said the experience changed his perspective and gave him more empathy and understanding for the victims of the epidemic.
- #027
- #028
- #029
- #030
In August 2023, the US Supreme Court temporarily halted the six-billion-dollar national settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family. The settlement protected family members from civil lawsuits over the effects of opioids. The Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments in December 2023. In July 2024, it permanently struck down Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy settlement. While this ruling meant the Sackler family would not be immune from future lawsuits for their role in creating and fueling the opioid crisis, it led to the indefinite postponement of settlement funds that were to be distributed to governments for opioid intervention, mitigation and treatment programs.
- #031
- #032
It is one of many films, limited series and documentaries from the early 2020s about the opioid crisis and the role of the Sackler family/Purdue Pharma. Others include the Netflix series Painkiller, the film Pain Hustlers and the documentaries The Pharmacist, The Crime of the Century and All the Beauty and the Bloodshed.
- #033
Randy Ramseyer and Rick Mountcastle discover that many articles spreading the claim that opiates are not addictive, or that fewer than '1 percent' of patients using Oxycontin became addicted, cited only one 'study': the so-called 'Porter-Jick Study.' Dopesick tells how these two characters embark on a long research process to find this study, only to learn that it was not actually a study but a short letter written to a medical journal. This element of the series is closely tied to historical fact: in 1980, the New England Journal of Medicine published a five-sentence letter from Jane Porter and Dr. Herschel Jick of Boston University Medical Center. The letter summarized their observations of 11,882 patients who received opiate-based narcotic painkillers under supervision in a hospital; they noted that only four of these patients, who had no prior history of addiction, became addicted. This was far from a peer-reviewed study (the scientific standard for evidence-based medical reports), yet it was still presented as evidence of opiates' supposedly non-addictive properties and formed the basis of the claim that Oxycontin was safe. In 2017, the New England Journal of Medicine published an analysis showing that the Porter-Jick letter had been misleadingly cited more than 600 times to convince doctors and hospitals that addiction was not a problem. In a 2017 interview with the Associated Press, Dr. Jick explained that his short letter should never have been interpreted as scientific evidence, let alone used as evidence for the extremely false notion that opiates are safe and non-addictive: 'I'm embarrassed that that letter I wrote to the editor has been used as an excuse for what the drug companies did. (...) They used that letter to spread the rumor that these drugs are not very addictive.' Jick said his letter referred only to people who received opioids briefly in a hospital and had nothing to do with long-term outpatient use.
- #034
Betsy Mallum's parents forcefully convey that her coming out as gay and living openly with her girlfriend would be unacceptable; Betsy soon becomes addicted to OxyContin. Although Betsy is a fictional composite character, this aspect of her story aligns with multiple medical studies showing that rejection of LGBT children by their parents significantly increases their likelihood of experiencing various problems, including developing drug addiction during adolescence and adulthood. For example, a study published in the January 2009 issue of Pediatrics found that 'High rates of family rejection were significantly associated with poorer health outcomes. According to odds ratios, lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults who reported high levels of family rejection during adolescence were 8.4 times more likely to have attempted suicide, 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression, 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs, and 3.4 times more likely to have engaged in unprotected sexual intercourse compared to their peers who reported no or low levels of rejection from their families.'
- #035
OxyContin contains oxycodone, a semi-synthetic narcotic analgesic. It is available only by prescription (not over the counter) and is designed to release slowly in the body over 12 hours. By breaking, crushing, or dissolving the tablets, drug addicts can achieve an immediate effect equivalent to street drugs, which fuels illegal demand for this medication, often stolen from pharmacies or patients.
Behind the Scenes (3)
- #036
In preparation for his role as attorney Rick Mountcastle, Peter Sarsgaard went to Dayton, Ohio, where he accompanied local police on ride-alongs, hung out with active opioid users, talked with afflicted family members and support groups, and went to a jail where he observed users trying to dry out. He has said that the hands-on experience transformed his perspective and imbued him with more empathy and understanding for the victims of the epidemic.
- #037
- #038
Characters & Cast (1)
Easter Eggs & References (5)
- #040
- #041
- #042
- #043
Contains a major spoiler — show
Randy Ramseyer and Rick Mountcastle discover that many articles promulgating the notion that opiates are not inherently addictive or that "less than 1% of patients become addicted to Oxycontin" cite only one "study": the so-called "Porter-Jick Study." Dopesick depicts them going through a long research process to attempt to find this elusive study, only to discover that it was in fact not a study at all; it was just a brief letter to the editor of a medical journal. This element of Dopesick adheres closely to the historical facts: in 1980, the New England Journal of Medicine published a five-sentence letter from Jane Porter and Herschel Jick, MD, of the Boston University Medical Center. The letter outlined their observations of 11,882 patients who received opiate-based narcotic pain killers; they noted that under hospital supervision, only four of those patients who had no prior history of addiction became addicted. This was very far from being a peer-reviewed study (the scientific standard for evidence-based medical reports), but it was nonetheless cited as evidence of opiates' supposed nonaddictive qualities and used as the premise for the claim that Oxycontin was safe. In 2017, the New England Journal of Medicine published an analysis of the more than 600 times the Porter-Jick letter has been misleadingly cited to convince doctors and hospitals that addiction was not a concern. In a 2017 Associated Press interview, Dr Jick clarified that his short letter should never have been construed as scientific proof of anything, much less of a concept as deeply inaccurate as the idea that opiates are safe and nonaddictive: "'I'm essentially mortified that that letter to the editor was used as an excuse to do what these drug companies did. (...) They used this letter to spread the word that these drugs were not very addictive.' Jick said his letter only referred to people getting opioids in the hospital for a short period of time and has no bearing on long-term outpatient use.
- #044
Randy Ramseyer and Rick Mountcastle discovered that the many articles promoting the idea that opioids are not inherently addictive, or that "fewer than 1% of patients become addicted to OxyContin," all cited a single "study": the so-called "Porter-Jick Study." Dopesick shows that they went through a long research process to find this elusive study, only to discover it was not actually a study at all but a short letter to the editor of a medical journal. This element of Dopesick adheres closely to historical fact: in 1980 the New England Journal of Medicine published a five-sentence letter from Jane Porter and MD Herschel Jick of Boston University Medical Center. The letter summarized their observations of 11,882 patients receiving opiate-based narcotic pain relievers, noting that only four patients with no prior history of addiction who were under hospital supervision became addicted. This was far from a peer-reviewed study (the scientific standard for evidence-based medical reports), yet it was still presented as evidence of the presumed non-addictive properties of opioids and used as the basis for the claim that OxyContin was safe. In 2017 the New England Journal of Medicine published an analysis of more than 600 misleading citations of the Porter-Jick letter used to convince doctors and hospitals that addiction was not a problem. In a 2017 Associated Press interview, Dr. Jick explained that his short letter should never have been interpreted as scientific proof of anything, much less as the deeply false notion that opioid medications are safe and non-addictive: "I'm essentially embarrassed that my letter to the editor was used as an excuse to do what these drug companies did. (...) They used this letter to spread the word that these drugs were not very addictive." Jick said his letter referred only to people who received opioids in a hospital for a very short time and had nothing to do with long-term outpatient use.
Deeper Meaning (2)
- #045
Contains a major spoiler — show
Randy Ramseyer and Rick Mountcastle discover that many articles promulgating the notion that opiates are not inherently addictive or that "less than 1% of patients become addicted to Oxycontin" cite only one "study": the so-called "Porter-Jick Study." Dopesick depicts them going through a long research process to attempt to find this elusive study, only to discover that it was in fact not a study at all; it was just a brief letter to the editor of a medical journal. This element of Dopesick adheres closely to the historical facts: in 1980, the New England Journal of Medicine published a five-sentence letter from Jane Porter and Herschel Jick, MD, of the Boston University Medical Center. The letter outlined their observations of 11,882 patients who received opiate-based narcotic pain killers; they noted that under hospital supervision, only four of those patients who had no prior history of addiction became addicted. This was very far from being a peer-reviewed study (the scientific standard for evidence-based medical reports), but it was nonetheless cited as evidence of opiates' supposed nonaddictive qualities and used as the premise for the claim that Oxycontin was safe. In 2017, the New England Journal of Medicine published an analysis of the more than 600 times the Porter-Jick letter has been misleadingly cited to convince doctors and hospitals that addiction was not a concern. In a 2017 Associated Press interview, Dr Jick clarified that his short letter should never have been construed as scientific proof of anything, much less of a concept as deeply inaccurate as the idea that opiates are safe and nonaddictive: "'I'm essentially mortified that that letter to the editor was used as an excuse to do what these drug companies did. (...) They used this letter to spread the word that these drugs were not very addictive.' Jick said his letter only referred to people getting opioids in the hospital for a short period of time and has no bearing on long-term outpatient use."
- #046
Contains a major spoiler — show
The parents of Betsy Mallum strongly communicate to her that it would be unacceptable for her to come out as a lesbian and live an open life with her girlfriend; Betsy soon afterward becomes addicted to Oxycontin. Though Betsy is a fictionalized composite character, this aspect of her story is true to multiple medical studies that show that parental rejection of LGBT children correlates with a heightened likelihood of several problems for them as teens and adults, including a significantly higher probability that they will develop drug addictions. For example, a study published in the January 2009 issue of the journal Pediatrics determined that "Higher rates of family rejection were significantly associated with poorer health outcomes. On the basis of odds ratios, lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults who reported higher levels of family rejection during adolescence were 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide, 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression, 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs, and 3.4 times more likely to report having engaged in unprotected sexual intercourse compared with peers from families that reported no or low levels of family rejection."
Sources & editorial notes
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