Summary
Episode 4 continues to detail a grim reality as the opioid crisis grows and the impact is horrific.
This recap of Hulu series Dopesick episode 4, “Pseudo-Addiction,” does not contain spoilers.
Read the review of the miniseries.
We always knew Dopesick would be a grim reality of the opioid crisis, and this episode is a sore account of how it works, past and present.
Dopesick episode 4 recap
Episode 4 begins in 1997, showing some teenagers dealing with OxyContin by snorting it at a party. One of the teens collapses, and he will not wake up. The teenagers panic and leave him where he is, presumably dead.
Back to the core story, and Betsy is struggling with her addiction to OxyContin. The drug dealer she’s working with is annoyed at the lack of supplies, and he asks her to hit another clinic. To try and get more OxyContin, Betsy visits a new doctor, and he gives her a prescription, but he can sense she’s addicted and asks for sexual favors, believing she has little money. Betsy tells him she has the money to pay for them.
At the pharma company, Richard Sackler is in dispute with his father — the father is frustrated because it is clear the drug is more addictive than they claim, so he advises they get an expert to deal with the claims aggressively. They find someone who claims that addiction is a myth — the man is called David Haddox, and his research centers on Psueodo-Addiction. Richard meets the expert who tells him that opioids are underprescribed. They share this information with the sales team, but a rep named Paula is skeptical. The rep is fired afterward, and she warns Billy that everyone knows the true nature of this drug.
Rick Mountcastle, Randy Ramseyer, and his prosecution team are starting to suspect that the 1% addiction claim is fraudulent. They cannot find any official study, but they need more resources to attack. Meanwhile, Bridget talks to the FDA and wants the drug to be limited to only severe pain. She states that it is a potent narcotic. The FDA views the medicine as safe as prescribed.
And even more of a concern, Dr. Samuel Finnix is now addicted to OxyContin after getting a prescription in the hospital after a car accident. He attempts to go cold turkey and throws away his keys to the drug cabinet at home. Billy goes to see him at his GP office. Samuel asks if the drug is addictive, so Billy shares information on Psuedo-Addition. Struggling with the cold turkey, Samuel tells Billy is it poison. He punches him and throws him out of his office.
As for Betsy, her family, friends, and her ex intervene due to concerns with her addiction. They ask if she’ll commit to a program. Betsy is hesitant to help, but she joins an AA meeting. A woman sneakily offers her OxyContin in the bathroom and says she will give it to her weekly.
The ending
A few things happen to end a dramatic episode.
Bridget manages to arrange a meeting with the pharmaceutical company, and they advise that they reduce the supply of OxyContin to doctors and chemists. Bridget makes it known that she wants the drug restricted.
In court, Rick Mountcastle questions the researcher who sent a letter to the pharmaceutical company. His letter has been used to justify the company’s approach. The man had no idea that his letter, based on research on a small group of people, was the primary source.
Dr. Samuel Finnix continues to be desperate, so he speaks to the same drug dealer that Betsy has been involved with. The dealer tells him to snort the drugs.
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