OxyContin® Abuse and Overdose

Abstract

With increasing rates of prescription drug abuse, OxyContin will continue to present challenges to physicians and health care providers. Physicians should be aware of potential patients who are seeking OxyContin for recreational use.

The opioid abuse and misuse epidemic: Implications for pharmacists in hospitals and health systems

“…The sustained-release product has been reformulated to reduce the abuse potential. 75 Similar to methadone, oxycodone is often abused concurrently with benzodiazepines such as alprazolam and other psychoactive drugs that enhance toxicity. 76,77 Especially in overdose, oxycodone is associated with an increased risk of Q-T interval prolongation.…”

Long-Term Safety of Remoxy®(Extended-Release Oxycodone) in Patients with Moderate to Severe Chronic Osteoarthritis or Low Back Pain

“…One means of optimizing the risk‐benefit ratio as described in these guidelines has been the development of new opioid formulations that are less prone to abuse [2]. For example, oxycodone is one of the most frequently prescribed opioids [3], but has been associated with increasing rates of abuse [4]. Specifically, abusers extract oxycodone by breaking or crushing the tablet and ingesting, snorting, or injecting the material for rapid absorption, resulting in a euphoric effect [2].…”

Comparing cost and effectiveness of IVPCA morphine with perioperative multimodal analgesia of oral etoricoxib and oxycontin: A retrospective study

“…We are aware of the concern on using slow release strong opioids in the management of acute pain. 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 The criticisms are against inappropriate prescription, lack of patient education and lack of supervision, especially after discharge from the hospital. These problems can be minimized by employing appropriate measures.…”