Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government
Veterans Benefits and Health Care About VA Find a VA Location

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

HSR Citation Abstract

Search | Search by Center | Search by Source | Keywords in Title

Imagine the Possibilities Pain Coalition and Opioid Marketing to Veterans: Lessons for Military and Veterans Healthcare.

Haddock CK, Elliott L, Kolodny A, Kaipust CM, Poston WSC, Oliva JD, Lewis ET, Oliva EM, Jitnarin N, Fong C. Imagine the Possibilities Pain Coalition and Opioid Marketing to Veterans: Lessons for Military and Veterans Healthcare. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland). 2025 Feb 18; 13(4):DOI: 10.3390/healthcare13040434.

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.    Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions


Abstract:

< b > Background/Objectives < /b > : The opioid crisis has disproportionately impacted U.S. military veterans, who face heightened risks of opioid use disorder and overdose due to chronic pain and mental health conditions. The pharmaceutical industry's role in misrepresenting opioid risks-leading to over USD 50 billion in legal settlements-has included targeted marketing to vulnerable populations. This study examines Janssen Pharmaceuticals' "Imagine the Possibilities Pain Coalition" (IPPC), which aimed to increase opioid use among veterans with chronic non-cancer pain. Insights from this public health industry document analysis offer guidance for military medicine and healthcare policymaking. < b > Methods < /b > : Using the Opioid Industry Document Archive (OIDA), housed at Johns Hopkins University and the University of California, San Francisco, researchers conducted retrospective content analysis. Documents referencing veterans were identified through keyword searches on Johns Hopkins' SciServer portal and reviewed using CoCounsel, an AI-based legal document platform < i > using a human-in-the-loop < /i > approach. Relevant documents were examined by the authors to extract material aligned with the research focus. < b > Results < /b > : The IPPC employed strategies to influence opioid prescribing for veterans. These included educational materials that minimized addiction risks and exaggerated long-term benefits and empathy-driven narratives prioritizing immediate pain relief over potential harms. Ghostwriting ensured favorable perspectives on opioids in scientific literature, aligning with broader industry strategies to promote opioids for chronic pain. < b > Conclusions < /b > : The targeted marketing of opioids to veterans has exacerbated the opioid crisis, as documented in government reports and litigation. Rigorous oversight of industry-funded coalitions and evidence-based practices are critical to insulating military healthcare from corporate influence and addressing the opioid crisis among veterans.




Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.
<--- --->