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Purdue Pharma will stop marketing opioids to doctors, Bloomberg reports. Oxycontin is one of the pharmaceutical giant's top-selling drugs, generating $1.8 billion in 2017. The company is also cutting 50% of its sales force to about 200 employees.

Why it matters: Oxycontin has been on the market for 22 years, and Purdue Pharma has been credited with aggressively promoting the drug and contributing to America's opioid epidemic.

Purdue Pharma will no longer promote opioids to doctors

Oxycontin has been on the market for 22 years.

Oxycontin pills. Photo: Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Health Care

Opioid epidemic

Business

Opioids

Purdue Pharma will stop marketing opioids to doctors, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Bloomberg reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-10/pain-pill-giant-purdue-to-stop-promotion-of-opioids-to-doctors" data-vars-content-id="59a88048-3aaa-49e8-9c34-2b41cf775825" data-vars-headline="Purdue Pharma will no longer promote opioids to doctors" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-10/pain-pill-giant-purdue-to-stop-promotion-of-opioids-to-doctors" target="_blank">Bloomberg reports</a>. Oxycontin is one of the pharmaceutical giant&#x27;s top-selling drugs, generating $1.8 billion in 2017. The company is also cutting 50% of its sales force to about 200 employees.Why it matters: Oxycontin has been on the market for 22 years, and Purdue Pharma has been credited with aggressively promoting the drug and contributing to America&#x27;s opioid epidemic.

The U.S. faces a range of health care flashpoints — unaffordable drugs, opioids, vaping — as we debate whether to adopt universal care. For now, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, but Republicans want to issue it a final death blow.

Purdue Pharma will no longer promote opioids to doctors

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