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OxyContin® is a
prescription painkiller used for moderate to high pain relief associated
with injuries, bursitis, dislocations, fractures, neuralgia, arthritis,
lower back pain, and pain associated with cancer. OxyContin® contains
oxycodone, the medication's active ingredient, in a timed-release
tablet. Oxycodone products have been illicitly abused for the past 30
years.
Oxycodone is a
Schedule II narcotic analgesic and is widely used in clinical medicine.
It is marketed either alone as controlled release (OxyContin®) and
immediate release formulations (OxyIR®, OxyFast®), or in combination
with other nonnarcotic analgesics such as aspirin (Percodan®) or
acetaminophen (Percocet®). The introduction in 1996 of OxyContin®,
commonly known on the street as OC, OX, Oxy, Oxycotton, Hillbilly
heroin, and kicker, led to a marked escalation of its abuse as reported
by drug abuse treatment centers, law enforcement personnel, and health
care professionals. Although the diversion and abuse of OxyContin®
appeared initially in the eastern US, it has now spread to the western
US including Alaska and Hawaii. Oxycodone-related adverse health effects
increased markedly in recent years. In 2004, Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) approved for marketing generic forms of controlled
release oxycodone products.
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Kicker, OC, Oxy, OX, Blue, Oxycotton, Hillybilly Heroin
Pharmacological effects include analgesia, sedation, euphoria, feelings
of relaxation, respiratory depression, constipation, papillary
constriction, and cough suppression. A 10 mg dose of orally-administered
oxycodone is equivalent to a 10 mg dose of subcutaneously administered
morphine as an analgesic in a normal population. Oxycodone’s behavioral
effects can last up to 5 hours. The drug is most often administered
orally. The controlled-release product, OxyContin®, has a longer
duration of action (8-12 hours).
The
most serious risk associated with opioids, including OxyContin®, is
respiratory depression. Common opioid side effects are constipation,
nausea, sedation, dizziness, vomiting, headache, dry mouth, sweating,
and weakness. Taking a large single dose of an opioid could cause severe
respiratory depression that can lead to death.
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As
with most opiates, oxycodone abuse may lead to dependence and tolerance.
Acute overdose of oxycodone can produce severe respiratory depression,
skeletal muscle flaccidity, cold and clammy skin, reduction in blood
pressure and heart rate, coma, respiratory arrest, and death.
Chronic use of opioids can result in tolerance for the drugs,
which means that users must take higher doses to achieve the same
initial effects. Long-term use also can lead to physical dependence and
addiction -- the body adapts to the presence of the drug, and withdrawal
symptoms occur if use is reduced or stopped. Properly managed medical
use of pain relievers is safe and rarely causes clinical addiction,
defined as compulsive, often uncontrollable use of drugs. Taken exactly
as prescribed, opioids can be used to manage pain effectively.
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Pharmaceuticals such as OxyContin® can be diverted in many ways. The
most popular form is known as "doctor shopping," where individuals, who
may or may not have legitimate illnesses requiring a doctor's
prescription for controlled substances, visit many doctors to acquire
large amounts of controlled substances. Other diversion methods include
pharmacy diversion and improper prescribing practices by physicians.
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According to Monitoring the Future (MTF), rates of nonmedical use of
prescription painkillers are relatively high among teenagers and include
a significant increase in the abuse of OxyContin® among twelfth graders.
The
2005 MTF shows annual use of OxyContin® by 12th graders has risen from
4.0 percent in 2002 to 5.5 percent in 2005. OxyContin® use has remained
more stable in the lower grades since 2002, with 1.8 percent of
8th-graders and 3.2 percent of 10th-graders reporting annual use in
2005. |
