Between 1991 and 2017, the number of opiod prescriptions dispensed by U.S. retail pharmacies rose from 76 million to 526 million, while overdose deaths soared to tens of thousands annually. Yet a full 75 percent of addictions begin with prescription drugs. Lawfully Addicted is the eye-opening account of pharmacist Ray Carlson's years-long fight for patient's rights as the pharmacy industry transformed from small customer-centric drugstores to huge chain pharmacies that ignored a law (OBRA-90) that was intended to prevent a national opioid crisis. After reading this book, the public will understand the seeds of our epidemic and question the manner in which their prescriptions are being filled by "big business".