Oxycontin
Quick Facts
Generic Name
Oxycodone hydrochloride
Date Approved
July 18, 2001
Manufacturer
Purdue Pharma LP
Status
On the market
Approved Uses
Arthritis
Back pain
Cancer
Serious Side Effects
Physical dependence
Addiction
Death
Related Topics
Defective Drugs
Oxycontin Side Effects May Lead To Addiction Lawsuits
Oxycontin | Lawsuits, Lawyers | Side Effects: Dependence, Addiction, Overdoses, Deaths
Oxycontin (Generic: Oxycodone hci) has been linked to physical dependence and addiction. Oxycontin contains a narcotic similar to morphine and has been prescribed to treat pain in cases of arthritis, back pain, and cancer. Oxycontin was first introduced in December 1995. It belongs to the drug class known as opioid agonists and is categorized as a Schedule II controlled substance.
The active ingredient in Oxycontin is oxycodone, a substance found in many different pain medications. However, most other pain medications contain small amounts of oxycodone. Oxycontin is a time-release formula that contains a significantly greater amount of oxycodone. Oxycontin is both one of the best selling prescription medications and one of the most abused drugs in history.
Oxycontin is indicated for the management of moderate to severe pain. A disturbing amount of reports have surfaced detailing widespread addiction to the drug from patients who were prescribed the drug as well as people obtaining the drug through illegal channels. Oxycontin has been linked to over a hundred deaths. Its high and addiction have been compared to those of heroin. The devastation associated with Oxycontin includes armed robberies, criminal indictments of doctors, individual and state lawsuits against Purdue Pharma, and concern from the DEA and FDA. The DEA has asked Purdue Pharma to change its strategy regarding Oxycontin. These suggestions included: marketing Oxycontin only to pain specialists, omit the claim that Oxycontin is less subject to abuse than other narcotics, and reformulation of the drug.
On July 25, 2001, at the urging of the FDA, Purdue Pharma added new warnings to Oxycontin. Oxycontin will bear the FDA's strongest type of warning, a black box, stating that Oxycontin is potentially as addictive as morphine. Purdue Pharma sent out letters to doctors asking them to only prescribe Oxycontin for severe pain. However, Purdue Pharma still asserts that there is no problem with Oxycontin. On August 9, 2001, Purdue Pharma announced that it is working on patent application for a new formula of Oxycontin, hoping to make it less susceptible to abuse and addiction. In the meantime, the amount of crime and number of deaths attributed to Oxycontin continue to rise.
Legal Help For Victims Affected By Oxycontin
If you or a loved one took Oxycontin and suffered side effects, please fill out the form at the right for a free case evaluation by a qualified drug side effects attorney or call us anytime at 1-800-LAW-INFO (1-800-529-4636).
