Prescription for Pain

How a Once-Promising Doctor Became the "Pill Mill Killer"

By: Philip Eil

Narrated by: Mike Lenz

This haunting and propulsive debut follows a journalist's years-long investigation into his father's old classmate: former high school valedictorian Paul Volkman, who seemed destined for greatness after earning his MD and PhD from the prestigious University of Chicago, but is now serving four consecutive life sentences at a federal prison in Arizona.

Volkman was the central figure in a massive "pill mill" scheme in southern Ohio. His pain clinics accepted only cash, employed armed guards, and dispensed a torrent of opioid painkillers and other controlled substances. For nearly three years, Volkman remained in business despite raids by law enforcement and complaints from patients' family members. Prosecutors would ultimately link him to the overdose deaths of thirteen patients, though investigators explored his ties to at least twenty other deaths.

This groundbreaking book is based on twelve years of correspondence and interviews with Volkman. Eil also traveled to nineteen states, interviewed more than 150 people, and filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the DEA that led to the release of nearly 20,000 pages of trial evidence. The American opioid epidemic is, like this book, a true crime story. Through this one doctor's story, an era of unfathomable tragedy is brought down to a tangible, and devastating, human scale.

©2024 Philip Eil (P)2024 Tantor

Incredibly interesting story of a medical career gone so wrong

This is less a picture of the opioid epidemic overall and more an intense look at the role one man played in it. Eil presents a fascinating read detailing the life of Dr. Volkman, and presenting how a person could end up playing such a huge role in the ongoing medication crisis. Don’t be daunted by the length - I zipped through this because it was so interesting!

Unique insight inside the mind of a deadly doctor

Bad guys never view themselves as bad guys , even the deadly one’s and the unique author access to one of the baddest makes for a fascinating read to one of the deadliest chapters in American history ❤️‍🩹

In depth and touching.

The author turned over every fact and seemed to speak with all involved. An impressive work.
What stands out most is how he honors those that died in the end. Medication marketed to relieve suffering brought so much!
I look forward to the authors next book.

A True Deprecation of the Pill Crisis

This book tells the true devastation some doctors caused in thousands of peoples lives. I am one of those people. The author did a wonderful job telling the true story of the opiate epidemic from the view of the doctors, the patients and the families. Addiction is a family disease and the author accurately talks about the hell families go through.

Mind blowing and comprehensive

Eil did an outstanding job of laying out the case of a real monster. I’ve listened to many books about the opioid epidemic and this was by far the best one.