Unsettled: How the Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Failed the Victims of the American Overdose Crisis

by Ryan Hampton

A shocking inside account of reckless capitalism and injustice in the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy case.

In September 2019, Purdue Pharma―the maker of OxyContin and a company controlled by the infamous billionaire Sackler family―filed for bankruptcy to protect itself from 2,600 lawsuits for its role in fueling the U.S. overdose crisis. Author and activist Ryan Hampton served as co-chair of the official creditors committee that acted as a watchdog during the process, one of only four victims appointed among representatives of big insurance companies, hospitals, and pharmacies. He entered the case believing that exposing the Sacklers and mobilizing against Purdue would be enough to right the scales of justice. But he soon learned that behind closed doors, justice had plenty of other competition―and it came with a hefty price tag.

Unsettled is the inside story of Purdue’s excruciating Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, the company’s eventual restructuring, and the Sackler family’s evasion of any true accountability. It’s also the untold story of how a group of determined ordinary people tried to see justice done against the odds―and in the face of brutal opposition from powerful institutions and even government representatives.

Although America was envisioned as an equitable place, where the vulnerable are protected from the greed of the powerful, the corporate-bankruptcy process betrays those values. In its heart of hearts, this system is built to shield the ultra-wealthy, exploit loopholes for political power, promote gross wealth inequality, and allow companies such as Purdue Pharma to run amok.

The real story of the Purdue bankruptcy wasn’t that the billion-dollar corporation was a villain, a serial federal offender. No matter what the media said, Purdue didn’t do this alone. They were aided and abetted by the very systems and institutions that were supposed to protect Americans. Even on-your-side elected officials worked against Purdue’s victims―maintaining the status quo at all costs.

Americans deserve to know exactly who is responsible for failing to protect people over profits―and what a human life is worth to corporations, billionaires, and lawmakers. Unsettled is what happened behind closed doors―the story of a sick, broken system that destroyed millions of lives and let the Sacklers off almost scot-free.

Genres: Nonfiction, Drugs, True Crime

336 pages, Hardcover

Published October 5, 2021

About the author

Ryan Hampton is a national addiction recovery advocate, author, media commentator, and person in long-term recovery. He has worked with multiple non-profits nationwide to end overdose and served in leadership capacities for various community organizing initiatives. Hampton is in recovery from a decade of active opioid use and is a leading voice in America's rising recovery movement. He is the author of Unsettled and American Fix—and lives in Nevada with his husband, Sean, and their boxer dog, Quincy.

Reviews

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a few non-fiction books I read where I think, "this could actually change things" and this is one of them. If you're unfamiliar with Purdue's role in the opioid epidemic in America, then I would highly suggest reading Hampton's "American Fix" before picking up this one.

This book does an incredible job chronicling Hampton's role as a co-chair of the official creditors committee during the Purdue Bankruptcy case. It heavily goes into the legal process and if you don't know about the history of Purdue beforehand I can see it being confusing.

This book also does a beautiful job telling victim's stories and clearly laying out solutions on how things need to change.

This book is so important and I hope it gets read by everyone and action is taken to make sure that America is actually a country that represents and takes care of its people.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good explanation of what happened behind the closed doors of the Sackler/Purdue bankruptcy case. It is written in a conversational tone, which makes it easy to read pretty quickly. For instance, Empire of Pain has been sitting in my "currently reading" stack for months now because it's very dry and I just can't get back into it despite caring immensely about the subject matter. Maybe it helps that all of my harm reduction community friends are also friends with the author. I would suggest this over any other books on the case though, especially since Hampton was actually on the committee.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Ryan Hampton's book about the inside happenings during the Purdue bankruptcy trial. Learned so much about our broken US bankruptcy system, and how it favors corporations but not individuals, on both sides of bankruptcy. Bottom line, if you are not a company, you are screwed whether you are declaring bankruptcy, or asking for reparations.
Was watching the Netflix show Dopesick at the same time and it's apparent that they both used facts, as so many keywords and key events overlapped between the two.
My only regret to this great audiobook is that Ryan Hampton himself didn't narrate his own story. I've heard him speak and I would've love to hear him fly F bombs and share his own emotional outcries at the injustice of this farce by the Purdue family.
Thank you Ryan Hampton for sharing your story. Know that you might not have won this battle, but you have gained warriors for future fights by telling of this loss.

[Barbara Hampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A first hand and front row seat to the damage done by the Sackler family, Purdue Pharmacy, and the opioid crisis they fueled. Even worse is how our bankruptcy system let them walk away with not only no admission to guilt, but with their fortune in tact. Find a ton of really slick and ridiculously expensive law firms and you can be protected from most anything! I had to read this twice just to absorb the shock!! Written with such passion that you feel like you are sitting there in the courtroom!

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about the complicated, dragged out bankruptcy case.

When I read this book, I felt the author's passion to help the victims from oxycontin overdose. His passion is commendable! The book title itself explains his experience with working with government during the bankruptcy.

It reveals the inner workings of corruption when everyone wants piece of the hefty bankruptcy settlement.

I'm not a personal fan of books written from experience as I prefer to read on research/facts.

[Alicia Weimer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I hugely admire Ryan Hampton for successfully overcoming drug addiction (I can imagine how difficult that is!) I did not really like his book “Unsettled.” Most of it was an angry incoherent rant.

[Trevor Niermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this one. The individuals our country is supposed to protect and value were time and time again failed by a system that chooses profit every time. Was also cool to learn about the government’s involvement in the case and it’s ineffectiveness to problem-solve, whether it’s failing to spend all allocated money or employing same-old solutions centered around education (while slightly effective) that don’t give the funds directly to the people that need it.

[Honesty Liller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing true story! I am in recovery from an opiate addiction and I thank you Ryan Hampton for helping to change the world!

[Jeanne M. Flynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning Revelation

When originally hearing the news that Purdue was being fined for the damages it caused to the addiction epidemic, it seemed reason for a celebration. As the mother of a son who died from opiate addiction, I can attest to the pain and suffering caused not only to the afflicted individual but the family circle surrounding them.

What I learned through reading Ryan‘s book was how severely screwed up the system is. Were it not for victims who were affected by Purdue’s product, there would have been no reason to chase them for justice. This book exposed the system of injustice awarded to victims thanks to the lawyers who fought for their own pockets.

Jeanne M. Flynn

[Donna Jane Fogle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Respect

I have so much respect for Ryan Hampton and all those in recovery who continue to advocate for their peers. I read this book at the same time e I was watching Dopesick. I have been treating folks with substance use disorders for over 30 years I am usually angry at people for ignoring the reality of home these disorders begin and progress. I hope this book and others can help in education process.

[Deana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and very informative, this one packs a lot of information into a short book. The breezy writing style made the heavy subject matter easy to get through and adds a needed human voice to the tragedies of the opioid overdose epidemic.

[Karl · Rating 1 out of 5]

You can blame Purdue Pharma for the opioid addiction. I know. I'm going to be stepping on toes. Reality truth. The first step for addiction recovery. Is to admit. It's my fault. I'm responsible for my addiction.

[Brian Cuban]

An eye-opening and informative inside track on the Big Pharma class action litigation and how the money flowed to all the wrong places.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating inside look at the case. More importantly, thoughtful discussion of all the interrelated causes and conditions driving the overdose crisis and what is still preventing real change.

[Tamar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stellar content. (Meh writing, but so what?) It was a downer and it taught me a lot. One theme I related to is the tension Hampton feels in taking part of the bureacratic process. As an activist, he feels morally obligated to advocate for the ideal solutions. But since he is on a formal committee, Hampton cannot speak out or stay ideologically pure. He realizes that he has to compromise so that at least something gets done, even though that means working together with evil people and signing off on plans that harm people, becoming complicit for the sake of incremental progress. It doesn’t really work out, but at least he tried.

I’m scared of the implications. Can I initiate reform better from working on the outside or the inside? Probably inside, but it’s hard to say without the benefit of hindsight.

[Michal · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read many books about the opioid crisis: this one is the worst. The subtitle indicates that it's about how that bankruptcy proceedings around Purdue Pharma failed the victims of the crisis. Really it's about the author and his feelings. very little is presented with any sort of factual or objective approach without pages about how it made him sad and stressed him out. Kuddos to him for staying sober through all of that, but the book is a pandering whine fest instead of any sort of helpful tool in understanding the bankruptcy. Having to wade through all the narrative about his life and feelings to get any information makes me not recommend this book at all. There are easier ways to get this information.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this book instead of reading it and I found it to be very repetitive. Although the author’s heart was in the right place and the information about the lawyers, the Sackler family, and the judicial system interesting and the stories of the victims heartbreaking, this book needed an editor that could cut out the many times that the author wrote that the Sacklers belonged in jail and should have lost much more of their money. I agree with the author but by listening to it I was much more aware of the tediousness of saying the same thing again and again.

[Megan Murphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went into this with great anticipation, understanding it to be an insider's account of the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy - and I did enjoy the behind-the-scenes look at the settlement process and its failings. Still, the delivery wasn't great. The author might have been better off taking a breather before writing this book. His frustration, while warranted, seemed to drive him and made him a bit of an unreliable narrator. This was a horrible injustice, yes, but he ends up throwing around the F-bomb and going off on tangents about his political views. Just not the best.

[Mindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very important information for the world to know. However, this book could use a good editing. It jumped back and forth in time, which resulted in repetition. For example, commenting twice how we all thought the initial COVID restrictions would only last a few weeks or months. Or how he referenced Kara Trainor talking to the committee/lawyers about her child and his needs, but then doesn’t talk about her story for a couple more chapters. I feel it could have just used more a linear flow.

[Mylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

depressing how pharmaceutical companies get away with being legal drug dealers, while their victims are left with nothing. I do wish there were more details - on the victims, on the options for treatment and support that are available, on other activists and the work that is being done. nonethless, it was still an interesting read even though ultimately, it was all a bureaucratic mess that leaves very little for those who need the most support.

[Phoenix · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I barely understand the legal system, I was reading this book to understand how addiction is treated in court.
I got more than that.
I received a new perspective of addiction, and what living with it can be like. My eyes were opened.
I recommend this book to anyone and everyone, regardless of what they think of addiction.

[Gabby G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredibly important story that I have not heard anyone else talking about. But I wouldn't recommend this to someone who wants to read an interesting book. Because it's the recounting of a bankruptcy trial it's very repetitive and boring at times. I enjoyed it because that's what I wanted, but if you're looking for something juicy it's not really that.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ryan Hampton delivers again. I trust his no-holds-barred, brutally honest approach. A must-read for everyone concerned about and affected by (as we all are in one way or another) the American opioid crisis and how we got here.

[Tooka Zokaie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone in health policy or leadership. The system is designed to fail the people time and time again. As someone in public health, this book resonated in the ways our organizations are designed to fund the status quo and those that already have power rather than true justice.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A descriptive and comprehensive look inside of the Purdue pharma bankruptcy. Hampton's point of view was easy to follow and powerful.

[Tim Kramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ryan is dead on. Great writer. Plus I am in chapter 10. He nailed my story 100%

[Yesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highly informative but the writing style was not “draw you in”