The abuse of oxycodone products in general has increased
in recent years. In April 2000, The Journal of the
American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study,
which examined two data collection sources. The DEA
Automation of Reports and Consolidated Orders System
(ARCOS) data tracks the distribution of oxycodone and
other opioid analgesics and the Drug Abuse Warning
Network (DAWN) Medical Examiner (ME) and Emergency
Department (ED) data ascertained the health consequences
associated with its abuse from 1990 to 1996. The JAMA
study found a 23 percent increase in the medical use of
oxycodone with no corresponding increase in the illicit
abuse of the drug. However, 1998 DAWN ME data reported a
93 percent increase in oxycodone mentions between 1997
and 1998 and the number of oxycodone-related DAWN ED
mentions increased 32.4 percent from 1997 (4,857) to
1999 (6,429).
OxyContin ® is designed to be swallowed whole; however,
abusers ingest the drug in a variety of ways. OxyContin ®
abusers often chew the tablets or crush the tablets
and snort the powder. Because oxycodone is water soluble,
crushed tablets can be dissolved in water and the
solution injected. The latter two methods lead to the
rapid release and absorption of oxycodone. The alcohol
and drug treatment staff at the Mountain Comprehensive
Care Center, Prestonsburg, Kentucky, reports individuals
who have never injected drugs are using OxyContin ®
intravenously and they have never seen a drug
"proliferate like OxyContin ® has since May 2000." The
staff at this center has over 90 cumulative years'
experience conducting drug evaluations.
OxyContin ® and heroin have similar effects; therefore,
both drugs are attractive to the same abuser population.
OxyContin ® is sometimes referred to as "poor man's
heroin", despite the high price it commands at the
street level. A 40 mg tablet of OxyContin ® by
prescription costs approximately $4 or $400 for a
100-tablet bottle in a retail pharmacy. Street prices
vary depending on geographic location, but generally
OxyContin ® sells for between 50 cents and $1 per
milligram. Thus, the same 100-tablet bottle purchased
for $400 at a retail pharmacy can sell for $2,000 to
$4,000 illegally.
OxyContin ® is, however, relatively inexpensive for those
covered by health insurance, since the insurance
provider covers most costs associated with doctor visits
and the prescription. Unfortunately, many OxyContin ®
abusers whose health insurance will no longer pay for
prescriptions and who cannot afford the high
street-level prices are attracted to heroin.
Opioids, Pain, and Addiction
Addiction to opioids used for legitimate medical
purposes under a qualified physician's care is rare.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse,
however, many physicians limit prescribing powerful
opioid pain medications because they believe patients
may become addicted to the drugs. Recent evidence
suggests that, unlike opioid abusers, most healthy,
nondrug-abusing patients do not report euphoria after
being administered opioids, possibly because their level
of pain may reduce some of the opioid's euphoric effects
making patients less likely to become abusers.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health
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