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OxyContin Diversion and Abuse
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.
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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