“Dopesick” — the Emmy Award-winning series that dives deep into one of the most devastating crises of our time: the opioid epidemic. The show pulls back the curtain on Purdue Pharma, the company that aggressively marketed OxyContin and helped fuel addiction across America. It’s gripping television based on real events and real people.
Today on Grieving Out Loud, you’ll hear from two of those real-life heroes. Rick Mountcastle, the inspiration behind one of the main characters in season one—portrayed by actor Peter Sarsgaard—was one of the first to take on the powerful Purdue Pharma. His real-life story is every bit as compelling as what you saw on screen.
Also joining me is Ed Bisch, whose story helped inspire characters in “Dopesick” and “Raising Lazarus.” After losing his teenage son to an OxyContin overdose at the very beginning of the opioid epidemic, Ed refused to stay silent. Long before most people had even heard the name OxyContin, he was sounding the alarm; calling out Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family when few others would.
See how your state is utilizing opioid settlement money here: opioidsettlementtracker.com
MEET THE GUEST
Rick Mountcastle
Rick Mountcastle is a former United States Attorney and award-winning federal litigator known for leading the landmark 2007 prosecution of Purdue Pharma, a story depicted in the Hulu miniseries Dopesick. He continues to advocate for accountability and reform through public speaking, media appearances, and his docuseries No Country for Old People on Amazon Prime Video.
MEET THE GUEST
Ed Bisch
Ed Bisch is the founder of Relative Against Purdue Pharma, a member of the Opioid Industry Documents Archive’s National Advisory Committee, and a member of several groups and committees battling the overdose and fentanyl poisoning crisis.
