THE PHARMACIST BEHIND ‘THE PHARMACIST’
Netflix’s documentary The Pharmacist follows the story of a New Orleans pharmacist, Dan Schneider, whose son was murdered in a drug deal gone wrong. Coupled with the pain from his son’s death, the sudden increase in high-dosage opioid prescriptions coming into his pharmacy led Schneider to combat New Orleans’s growing opioid issue. In the documentary, Schneider tells the story of his journey. He starts with the investigation into his son’s murder, which he eventually solved. He follows up by explaining how he worked with the FBI and DEA to bring down the doctor responsible for many of the prescription pills sold on the streets. Schneider’s story is set in the context of the opioid epidemic affecting the United States. It has been nearly two decades since the events of The Pharmacist have occurred. But still, the opioid epidemic continues to grow, killing anywhere from 80,000 to 90,000 Americans each year. UPDATES ON THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC As the opioid epidemic continues to evolve and different types of drugs are sold on the streets, authorities struggle to reduce the abuse and illegal sale of opioids. Some authorities suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has made the opioid epidemic even worse. For example, Schneider asserts that COVID-19 has impacted overdoses and the resulting deaths. Schneider believes that some of these incidences were coincidental because the number of overdose deaths was already on the rise before COVID-19. However, COVID-19 may have heightened opioid usage because of the resulting social isolation, depression and anxiety related to that isolation, and heightened anxiety levels due to concerns about the dangers of COVID-19. Schneider also points out the difficulties for addicts who may have been in treatment centers but
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