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From 1995 to 2000, Purdue conducted 40 "pain conferences" in resorts like Boca Raton, Florida, and Scottsdale, Arizona, focused on primary care physicians and doctors specializing in cancer care. Purdue lined up more than 2,500 physicians for paid speeches and presentations at health-care seminars, and in 2001 alone spent $4.6 million for OxyContin advertisement in medical journals.

It didn't stop there. According to the GAO report: "Purdue distributed several types of branded promotional items to health care practitioners. Among these items were OxyContin fishing hats, stuffed plush toys, coffee mugs with heat activated messages, music compact discs, [and] luggage tags." (One of the promotional songs to get doctors to prescribe more was called "Get in the Swing With OxyContin.") Purdue even started a program for doctors to distribute coupons to their patients for free one-time OxyContin prescriptions. About 34,000 of these coupons were redeemed.

This marketing strategy gave Purdue its intended effects. By 2003, the company reported that primary care doctors had grown to constitute nearly half of all OxyContin prescribers, according to the 2003 GAO report. In effect, the drug designed for cancer pain relief had become the drug prescribed for back and tooth aches.