Oxycodone was first formulated in 1917, so it's not really "new".
There are lots of FDA-approved drugs that are highly inappropriate for most patients. One of the reasons we tolerate the professional status of physicians is because of their purported expertise in prescribing these drugs safely. If they don't know the function and habit-forming potential of opioids, one might well question that expertise. They aren't regulated in any sense by FDA, and they can't blame FDA for their ignorance.
I agree, go after the deep pockets. I sympathize with patients who became addicted to oxy, while at the same time I'm convinced that opioids should be available to those who need them. I'm glad I got some Demerol when I needed it. I even sympathize with physicians who weighed their patients' needs against the risks of addiction, carefully followed up on their oxy prescriptions, and still had some patients succumb to addiction. I don't sympathize with blanket statements like "doctors just trusted Purdue". Any physician who refilled an opioid prescription without asking the patient some blunt questions and being satisfied with the answers is a piss-poor physician.
There are lots of FDA-approved drugs that are highly inappropriate for most patients. One of the reasons we tolerate the professional status of physicians is because of their purported expertise in prescribing these drugs safely. If they don't know the function and habit-forming potential of opioids, one might well question that expertise. They aren't regulated in any sense by FDA, and they can't blame FDA for their ignorance.