Matthew Perry- “I wonder how much this moron will pay”

[GoodieMcTwoshoes]

Sorry if there's a recent thread, it doesn't show up in search.

Apparently his doctors took advantage of his vulnerability and discussed things like “I wonder how much this moron will pay.” Matthew Perry: Two doctors among five charged over ketamine-related death | Evening Standard

That's awful. :(

In this kind of arrangement it's not about pharma incentives, what they charge their clients is incentive enough

Exactly!

Dopesick is one of the best dramas I've ever watched. It's also very accurate to real-life although some of the characters are fictional, the main plotlines are 100% true. It made me so angry. I know that 'ketamine treatment' is maybe legitimate for some types of depression so do you think Drs get away with saying thats what they're providing? How much is this going on ?

I saw that message too, made me feel very sad that people are so happy to make money out of someone else’s vulnerability, but it happens every day. I hope those involved get what they deserve

There used to be Harley St Doctors who would write private scripts for addicts and recreational users.
One amphetamine tablet was known as “ Newtons” because of Dr Newton who wrote the private scripts.
He was stopped from doing it.

Shame this only ever hits the news when it's someone well known and no one cares about the less wealthy who die every day, there are unscrupulous and dangerous doctors everywhere who are only in it for the money

Yes, I am sure there are quite a few in London, ask any addiction service

I completely agree re: parallels to Drs and the opioid crisis.

But how many have been truly held to account? I'm not aware of the BMA equivalent in the US but I would argue it needs a radical overhaul.

The major players in court and paying out billions (the distributors) never placed a single pill in the hands of a human.

Unless you can truly rely on physicians as gatekeepers and custodians of 'first do no harm' then this will keep on happening.

I feel so sorry for Perry, preyed on by a pack of vultures.

It's vile behavior from that doctor. How cruel

ketamine - a horse tranquilizer. When do people look at this stuff and say what's the worst that could happen if I took it?

This one ( Now RIP , I just googled) would prescribe surely knowing the pills would be diverted.
Lady Frankau before him was notorious for Diamorphine.
Ironically it was pure - and probably safer.( Than illegal heroin that came later).

Unfortunately, wealth and celebrity does not guarantee you good quality healthcare (Michael Jackson being a similar example). So sad.

What financial incentives are you referring to?

When it's a celebrity, the authorities seem to have the time and resources to investigate and bring charges. When its Joe Schmo, the regular drug-abuser, it's a case of natural selection and an "oh dear, what a shame" if that.

Justice should be for everyone, not just the privileged.

No-one should be taken advantage of, especially by medical professionals. However, Matthew Perry was all the man he was ever going to be and seemed well aware of his flaws and problems. What percentage of criminal responsibility is laid at his feet for his poor decision making?

I think ketamine is thought to have therapeutic properties in much smaller doses while properly administered. Ecstasy is being explored in the US at the moment as a possible solution to depression.

Any of these drugs could potentially be used positively if properly prescribed and supported by counselling etc. I don’t think ketamine is inherently a terrible idea.

But clearly buying it at industrial scale from crooked doctors who are stealing it and reselling at a huge markup is not the way to do it.

Matthew Perry was apparently receiving ketamine infusions to treat depression.

Even his live in, long time assistant has been arrested. All that money just attracts vipers. Not worth it imo.

I think it’s used for small animals too- and even children.
But but obviously carefully titrated and not a random dose.People say horse tranquilliser as it sounds dramatic-
but It’s probably quite safe when administered by a Veterinary surgeon or hospital doctor.

It's heartbreaking, feels like Michael Jackson all over again.

Yeah this. They are scum, taking advantage of a fragile, vulnerable, and gentle soul like Matthew. Same with Michael Jackson. Whatever your opinion of him, he was pumped with dozens of 'prescription' painkilling meds a day, and that resulted in his death.

Some GPs over here are not much better. I know a man right now who is on the highest dose of anti -depressants available, heart-relaxing tablets, nerve blockers, the strongest painkillers you can get, the strongest anti-inflammatories you can get, and strong 'prescribed' anti-histamines to help him sleep. He also has actual sleeping tablets half the year too.

He is ALWAYS tired, and does nothing in his life - except go to work 21 hours a week, (three 7-hour shifts,) and sit on the couch watching TV.. Most days, he sleeps 14-15 hours a day, drops off after dinner on the couch (at around 7pm,) naps til 9pm, gets up and has a cup of hot chocolate and then goes to bed at 9.30pm. His wife said, one of these days he isn't going to wake up. His heart will just stop.

He's on all these meds because he has Health Anxiety (he's a hypochondriac,) and had ailment after ailment after ailment since 2018. The doctors, instead of trying to get him help, to find out why he was going to the GP twice a month, (with a new ailment every 3rd of 4th time,) just dosed him up with every drug going. (He's been on all these meds since 2021,) and now he can't get off them. His wife has forged a new life that excludes him 90% of the time, as he never wants to leave the house, because he is always 'tired.'

The people responsible for Matthew Perry (and Micheal Jackson's death,) are right up there with scummy banks who lend people 10s of 1000s of £££ whilst knowing they can only just make the payments. (And they they will struggle to make the payments should their income drop a fraction.) Scumbags, taking advantage of vulnerable people.

Pushing and pushing more things on people that they don't need, and will struggle with!

@oakleaffy

People say horse tranquilliser as it sounds dramatic

Agree. There’s so much uneducated speculation about this and a lot of it is just wrong. Any sedative has potential to be a tranquiliser. Ketamine is widely used as an anaesthetic including for children and has been used safely in medicine for well over 50 years. As a PP said it is used therapeutically for depression as appeared to have been the case here.

Its not the ketamine that’s the issue it’s the way it’s used. Clearly MP had serious substance abuse issues going back decades and although he appears to have been using it under medical supervision it may have been that he was so hardwired to abuse and overdo something that he didn’t know where to draw the line.

The addict is the problem, not the drug itself. See also alcohol, opiates etc.

Yes Dopesick is eye opening and very sad but absolutely worth a watch. The way the family who created and sold Oxymoron profited from destroying peoples lives is sickening.

Sadly, I think there is some truth in this. A good doctor would be telling an addict lots of things they don't want to hear unfortunately. Rich addicts just can pay people to help them self-destruct.

Agree anyone who wants to educate themselves more should watch the brilliant Dopesick, think it's also on iPlayer now.

As someone who lives with someone with chronic pain I thank the heavens every day that the German authorities stopped oxycontin coming to Europe. Just look at the Fentanyl crisis in the US now that we've avoided. Though I wouldn't be surprised if post-Brexit it becomes easier to let dodgy US drugs into the UK.

Is it not the whole drugs industry designed to be that way also