Kentucky sues OxyContin manufacturer

In what could be considered one of the wackier lawsuits in recent medical history, the state of Kentucky is suing Purdue Pharma over its pain relief narcotic drug, OxyContin. However, the suit has no basis in patients with a prescription having troubles after taking the drug. No -- it has to do with the drug itself being so addictive that it's being widely abused. Are you kidding me?

In prime litigious fashion, an attorney for Pike County, Kentucky stated this in relation to the suit: "Make no mistake about it - this is war." Apparently in Kentucky, the mere fact that some choose to abuse a prescription painkiller is grounds for a lawsuit. Perhaps this will allows all who choose to abuse pain drugs the chance to sue the drug's manufacturer. Maybe pot growers could be next, eh?

On the surface, this appears to be a waste of any judicial resources, but hey -- this is the land of meritless, frivolous lawsuits, right? This one seeks reimbursement for costs for drug abuse and rehab programs, among other things. Sigh -- I'm rarely for pharma companies, but I am on this one. Although OxyContin was found to be addictive in recent times, where does idiocy and personal responsibility meet? Nowhere, from the looks of things.