OxyContin (oxycodone HCI controlled-release) is a powerful narcotic used to treat moderate to severe pain associated with arthritis, lower back conditions, injuries and cancer for more than a few days. Taken every 12-hours, OxyContin tablets contain a time-release mechanism that allows its effects to remain for the entire period of time. The drug has been controversial, however, because of its association to prescription drug abuse and pharmacy thefts.

OxyContin abusers remove the sustained- released coating by crushing, chewing or boiling the powder for injection to get a heroin-like high. The rapid release and absorption of the potentially toxic dose of oxycodone can have fatal results. Reports indicate that hundreds of people have died from overdosing on OxyContin, most often because of acute pulmonary edema.

Chronic use of OxyContin is dangerous as well. Patients that develop an increased tolerance to the drug, requiring higher doses of the medication, can end up becoming addicted to OxyContin. When stopping the drug therapy, as a result, a person can experience OxyContin withdrawal symptoms.

The drug was first marketed in 1996, and OxyContin sales reached $1.2 billion in 2003, causing concern among many. According to FDA report, OxyContin may have played a role in 464 deaths across the U.S. from just 2000 to 2001, and the use, and abuse, of the drug continues to increase.

Because the illicit use of OxyContin, some regulators have been trying to restrict the use and availability of the drug, pointing out that a lot of patients might be treated just as well, if not better, with another drug to treat their pain without the risks of OxyContin overdose or addiction. Numerous state legislatures are pushing for ways to limit the increasing rates of OxyContin abuse, including New York, where the state's Legislature's OxyContin Commission held a public hearing.

Proposed OxyContin controls recommended at the hearing included using OxyContin only as a last resort, and having health insurance providers allow a minimum of 60 days coverage in a treatment facility for a plan subscriber suffering from OxyContin addiction.

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