Montgomery-headquartered Raycom Media has released a new documentary focused on those who have suffered from opioid abuse, as well as the doctors who contributed to that suffering by overprescribing pain medication.
“Our national investigative unit worked tirelessly to expose the abuses in the system, and we want to do our part to inform our local consumers,” Pat LaPlatney, President and CEO of Raycom Media, said in a statement. “It’s a nationwide epidemic, and it’s happening in our own backyards.”
Part of the documentary, entitled “Licensed to Pill,” details an undercover investigation that the Drug Enforcement Agency conducted to bring down Drs. John Patrick Couch and Xiulu Ruan, who used to operate a pain clinic in Mobile.
Last May, Couch and Ruan were sentenced to 20 and 21 years respectively for illegally prescribing opioids.
WAFF will air “Licensed to Pill” on Sunday, August 12 at 11:30 am. The documentary has already aired in the Dothan, Birmingham and Montgomery markets, but it can be watched online.
InvestigateTV, Raycom’s new digital journalism project, is available on Roku and will be released to other digital streaming services soon. It can also be accessed at investigatetv.com.
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