It’s like “Erin Brockovich” meets “Narcos”.
A small-town pharmacist becomes an unlikely detective, taking on Big Pharma and uncovering a corporate conspiracy that fueled America’s opioid crisis.
This will likely rank in the top 10 when I do my list of best opioid documentaries (I’ll get to it one day!).
Trailer for “The Pharmacist”
Watch “The Pharmacist”
You can watch “The Pharmacist” on Netflix at https://www.netflix.com/title/81002576
Ratings:
- My Rating: 94/100
- IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 97/100 (Users); 89/100 (Critics)
Release Date: February 5, 2020 (on Netflix)
My Review of “The Pharmacist”
Release date: February 5, 2020
A grieving father risks everything to expose the dark side of Big Pharma and save his community.
Dan Schneider wasn’t just a pharmacist—he was a father.
When his son Danny was murdered in 1999 in a drug deal gone bad, the shock hit hard.
So hard, in fact, that Dan turned his grief into a detective-like obsession, determined to find the person responsible.
The Search for Truth
Through relentless investigation, Dan tracked down an eyewitness who testified that a 16-year-old named Jeffrey Hall was the killer. Hall eventually took a plea deal and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
But the justice system’s shortcomings didn’t stop there. After his son’s case was closed, Dan’s focus shifted to something bigger—something destroying his community: OxyContin.
The OxyContin Invasion
Dan’s pharmacy in St. Bernard Parish was flooded with people seeking prescriptions for OxyContin. These weren’t just pain patients—they were addicts. Young people, old people, all hooked on what Dan called “heroin in a pill.”
One doctor’s name kept coming up: Dr. Jacqueline Cleggett. She was prescribing Oxy like candy, and Dan knew something was wrong. So, he started recording audio of his customers talking about Cleggett, compiling evidence.
This wasn’t just a few pills. Cleggett was reportedly depositing $1.9 million a year into her account, and she was a top client for Purdue Pharma’s sales rep, who earned $800,000 annually.
Taking on Big Pharma
Dan didn’t stop at recordings. He teamed up with Robbie, one of Cleggett’s Oxy clients, and together they approached the FBI. Turns out, the FBI was already investigating Cleggett, but Dan’s evidence was crucial.
One day, Dan even got too close—Cleggett’s people chased him by car, and when he sought refuge at the FBI office, they turned him away. He was on his own, and it nearly cost him everything. But he didn’t back down. Instead, he called Cleggett directly after she prescribed a dangerously high dose of Oxy to a 16-year-old girl. That call? It was the smoking gun.
The Takedown
Dan’s relentless pursuit finally paid off. The DEA shut down Cleggett, and the ripple effect was massive. Pill mills around the country were taken down. But the real monster was Purdue Pharma, the company behind OxyContin.
They raked in $35 billion in sales from Oxy, and a staggering 75% of heroin addicts started with prescription opioids. Purdue Pharma’s aggressive marketing had turned doctors like Cleggett into drug dealers. Eventually, the lawsuits caught up with them, and Purdue filed for bankruptcy.
But for the families left in the wake of this devastation, it was too little, too late.
You Can’t Make This $hit Up
Danny’s parents , distraught over Danny’s murder, consider a family suicide the day after Danny’s murder.
Daddy’s dad meets a drug dealer who says he can probably figure out who killed Danny. The dealer says to Danny’s dad :”If I find the guy, would you like me to kill him?” Dan’s answer was simple: no. He wanted justice, not vengeance.
The Bigger Picture
This doc isn’t just about one man’s crusade. It’s about a system that let addiction thrive, unchecked, for years. U.S. officials found that Cleggett was likely prescribing millions of pills, but she wasn’t the only one.
Purdue Pharma’s sales tactics, pushing doctors to prescribe OxyContin, created a national epidemic.
One sales rep made $800,000 a year by getting doctors like Cleggett to keep the pills flowing. It wasn’t just about profits—it was about pushing drugs, no matter the human cost.
The Legacy
Dan Schneider’s fight didn’t end with his son’s murder being solved. He took on one of the most powerful industries in the world and made a dent.
Thanks to his work, countless pill mills were shut down, and Purdue Pharma was exposed for the role it played in creating the opioid crisis.
But the damage was done. Thousands of lives had already been lost, and families torn apart. Yet, in a small town in Louisiana, one grieving father proved that a single person can make a difference, even in the face of overwhelming odds.
In “The Pharmacist,” you witness a father’s journey from despair to heroism, all while fighting a war that seemed impossible to win. And though Dan Schneider may not have saved his son, he saved countless others from the same fate.
Thanks for reading!
Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc