Based on the non-fiction book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy, it premiered on October 13, 2021, and concluded on November 17, 2021, after eight episodes.

Dopesick received positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for the performances of the cast, most notably those of Michael Keaton and Kaitlyn Dever.

Dopesick focuses on "the epicenter of America's struggle with opioid addiction" across the U.S. on how individuals and families are affected by it, on the alleged conflicts of interest involving Purdue Pharma and various government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of Justice, and finally, on the legal case against Purdue Pharma and their development, testing and marketing of the drug OxyContin.

Prompted by a lie from Cutler, he makes an impassioned statement on the importance of caring for coal-mining communities, and is warmly received by the Purdue team.

Unknown to Finnix, the emotionally troubled Betsy Mallum steadily increases her Oxycontin dose and shows signs of addiction.

Coupled with a traumatic attempt to come out to her devoutly religious parents, Betsy's drowsy inattention in the mine causes an explosion.

1999: Meyer is told by a pharmacist that his efforts to cease stocking Oxycontin, in response to repeated break-ins, were met with legal threats from Purdue.

Meyer's DEA superior refuses to authorize investigation, stating Oxycontin is a registered drug and associated issues are a local law enforcement problem.

Betsy is a gas station attendant and works with a drug dealer to obtain multiple Oxycontin prescriptions, including clinics in Florida.

2000: Meyer tries to pressure the FDA and Purdue to change the indication for Oxycontin as a treatment for severe pain only, restrict dispensers and place addiction warnings on the label.

Meyer expends much time and energy on the case, placing strain on her marriage and attracting the attention of 9/11 hero Rudy Giuliani, who lobbies her on behalf of Purdue.

2001: Public pressure brought by Meyer and doctors including Art Van Zee force the FDA to place a black box warning on OxyContin, indicating significant risk of serious adverse effects.

2002: Meyer meets with FDA and Purdue officials to present the study on deaths caused by prescribed OxyContin, without allowing them prior viewing.

Finnix starts driving other patients from Finch Creek to the clinic and they suggest he moves back to the town but he rejects the idea, believing the townspeople don't want him there.

Brownlee is then slated to be fired by Main Justice as retribution when he informs his superiors that he will not delay the settlement, but the decision is later overturned.

On June 17, 2020, it was announced that Hulu had given the production a limited series order consisting of eight episodes based on the book, Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy.

The website's critics consensus reads, "Dopesick at times sinks under the weight of its subject matter, but strong performances from Michael Keaton and Kaitlyn Dever and an empathetic approach to the very real people impacted by the opioid crisis make for harrowing drama.

[25] Joel Keller of Decider called the series ambitious and sprawling, stating Danny Strong succeeds to provide different stories in a non-linear fashion, and praised the performances of the cast, writing, "The series is definitely buoyed by its strong performances, from Keaton’s reserved and reticent Dr. Fennix, to Dever's confident portrayal of Betsy, who just wants to be herself but knows it can’t be in her hometown.

"[26] Fionnuala Halligan of Screen Daily applauded the performances of the actors, calling the cast "stellar," and praised Strong's writing for not sugarcoating the exploration of the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma's role in America's opioid crisis, stating, "The result is a solid, increasingly effective and satisfyingly well-made drama.

"[27] Ed Cumming of The Independent rated the miniseries 5 out of 5 stars, found Dopesick to be an ambitious drama series, saying, "It aims to explore the scandal from the Sacklers down, opening with the development of the drug in the 1980s, to show how greedy bosses and avaricious sales reps were able to hijack the good intentions of doctors all over the country," praised the performances of the cast members and called the script "admirably tight," while complimenting the direction.

[28] Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly gave the series an A−, praised the performances of the cast and their chemistry, writing, "Dopesick deftly corrals the vast addiction epidemic through intimate, deeply engrossing stories of human devastation.

"[30] Matt Cabral of Common Sense Media rated the series 4 out of 5 stars, praised the depiction of positive messages and role models, citing teamwork and benevolence, and complimented the diverse representations of the actors.

[31] Analytics company Samba TV, which gathers viewership data from certain smart TVs and content providers, reported that the first episode of Dopesick was streamed by 261,000 U.S. households on Hulu within its first four days.

[50] Nielsen Media Research, which records streaming viewership on U.S. television screens, estimated that the series was watched for 214 million minutes from November 8–14, 2021.