Oxycontin FAQ » Oxyconned.org

OxyContin FAQ

Q: What is CAVO?

A: The Coalition to Assist Victims of Oxycontin (CAVO) is a nationwide advocacy group comprised of OxyContin victims, their families, and others interested in the devastating social, physical, and mental effects of the drug. CAVO focuses on the problems caused by OxyContin addiction. For more information, please contact us.

Q: What is OxyContin?

A: OxyContin is an opioid analgesic drug, sold in tablet form, containing oxycodone hydrochloride. Oxycodone is a drug whose pharmacologic effect is very similar to that of morphine.

Q: Who makes OxyContin?

A: Purdue Pharma and its subsidiaries and affliates patented, developed, manufacture, market and distribute OxyContin. Purdue Pharma is wholly owned by the Purdue Frederick Company, which is dominated by the Sackler family.

Q: Who are OxyContin's intended users?

A: OxyContin was developed as a pain management drug for patients with terminal cancer. It was originally intended to help patients with chronic, severe pain. In the past several years, however, it has become more common for the drug to be prescribed for milder ailments such as sports injuries, dental problems, and broken bones.

Q: Can OxyContin be abused like other prescription drugs?

A: Yes. OxyContin abuse has been well documented all over the country. Hundreds of people have died from misusing OxyContin and more have had their lives disrupted. Although CAVO is primarily concerned with legitimate users who have become addicted, we are sympathetic to the plight of all people who have become addicted to OxyContin. For more information about the dangers and deadly consequences of OxyContin abuse, please visit www.oxyabusekills.com. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy also has an informative web site about OxyContin and it's abuse. Finally, the Media Awareness Project has an archive of news articles about OxyContin abuse and it's consequences.

Even more troubling is that legitimate users — people who are prescribed OxyContin for medical reasons and are taking the drug as prescribed by their doctor are becoming horribly addicted. In many cases, legitimate OxyContin users have become addicted and have engaged in abusive behavior because of their addiction.

Q: I have heard the OxyContin situation referred to as an epidemic. Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?

A: Unfortunately, there is no nationwide effort to compile statistics regarding OxyContin abuse and dependence. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that it is a serious problem in America.

Oxycontin-related emergency room mentions have skyrocketed from 100 in 1996 to almost 15,000 last year. The drug is known to have killed 59 Kentuckians, according to The Louisville Courier-Journal and has been linked to 200 deaths in Florida, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy reports that 57 North Carolina residents died from OxyContin in the last three years.

In Tennessee, the media has reported that 62% of addicts admitted to treatment centers cite OxyContin as their drug of choice, up from 21% just two years ago. At one treatment center for teens in Massachusetts, OxyContin addiction admissions are up 760%. We can guess these trends are repeated across the United States.

Q: I thought that OxyContin was supposed to be "non-addictive."

A: Many people, including physicians and pharmacists were led to believe that OxyContin was not addictive. Purdue Pharma, OxyContin's manufacturer told everyone — including government regulators — that the drug was not addictive.

As it turns out, Purdue Pharma was not telling the truth and had not done the proper research to back up their statements.

Purdue Pharma makes their claims based on a coating on the OxyContin pill that they claim releases the painkiller in small amounts over a period of twelve hours. However, the special coating does not work properly and patients must take additional OxyContin before twelve hours have passed — hastening their addiction. There is also evidence that aggressive marketing of the product has contributed to addiction.

In Purdue Pharma v. Endo Pharmaceuticals, a federal judge ruled in early January that Purdue Pharma misled the Patent Office concerning the 12-hour efficacy of OxyContin. Judge Stein of the Southern District of NY ruled that Purdue Pharma's OxyContin patent is invalid because the company lied to the Patent Office when it said the drug provides 12 hours of pain relief to 90% of the patients. According to the judge, Purdue Pharma had no support for such a statement: "[t]he record as a whole reflects a clear pattern of intentional misrepresentation of a material fact" and Purdue Pharma's "repeated intentional misrepresentations are so serious as 'to warrant the severe sanction of holding the patent[s] unenforceable." This not only means that Purdue Pharma lied and has no real evidence regarding the efficacy of the 12 hour OxyContin time-release that has likely led to thousands of addictions, it also kept generics out of the market, potentially costing state Medicaid programs thousands, if not millions, of dollars.

Physicians routinely prescribed OxyContin every 6-8 hours because patients regularly complained that it did not work the full 12 hours. Purdue Pharma counteracted this practice by telling their sales force to impress upon the doctors the need to increase the dose and not the frequency of prescribing OxyContin. Purdue Pharma was apparently afraid of two things: (1) If it became known that the drug did not last for 12 hours they could lose their patent and (2) Medicaid and other HMOs would refuse to pay the premium price for a 12 hour painkiller when, in fact, it needed to be prescribed every 6-8 hours.

Q: Shouldn't people be warned about the dangers of OxyContin addiction?

A: Of course. But Purdue Pharma has refused to acknowledge that OxyContin is more addictive than originally believed. Purdue Pharma was so intent on ignoring the addiction potential of OxyContin that it did not include a proper warning on the label — something that is routinely done with other opiates — until it was forced to do so.

Incredibly, in a statement that reminds some of the tobacco industry's head-in-the-sand approach for many years, Purdue's senior medical director J. David Haddox has said he has "no credible information that people who take the drug as directed have become addicted," according to a Court TV report.

Q: How do I know if I or someone I know is addicted to OxyContin?

A: Addiction (substance dependence) is an uncontrollable compulsion to repeat a behavior regardless of its negative consequences.

The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic Statistical Manual (known as DSM IV) lays describes substance dependence as "a maladaptive pattern of substance use, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by three (or more) of the following, occurring at any time in the same 12-month period:"

Tolerance, as defined by either of the following: (a) a need for markedly increased amounts of the substance to achieve intoxication or desired effect, or (b) markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of the substance
Withdrawal, as manifested by either of the following: (a) the characteristic withdrawal syndrome for the substance (refer to Criteria A and B of the criteria sets for Withdrawal from the specific substances) or (b) the same (or a closely related) substance is taken to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms
The substance is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended
There is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control substance use
A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain the substance (e.g., visiting multiple doctors or driving long distances), use the substance (e.g., chain-smoking), or recover from its effects
Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of substance use
The substance use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the substance (e.g., current cocaine use despite recognition of cocaine-induced depression, or continued drinking despite recognition that an ulcer was made worse by alcohol consumption)

If three or more of these criteria describe you, you are addicted.



OxyContin FAQ Q: What is CAVO? A: The Coalition to Assist Victims of Oxycontin (CAVO) is a nationwide advocacy group comprised of OxyContin victims, their families, and others interested in the devastating social, physical, and mental effects of the drug. CAVO focuses on the problems caused by OxyContin addiction. For more information, please contact us. Q: What is OxyContin? A: OxyContin is an opioid analgesic drug, sold in tablet form, containing oxycodone hydrochloride. Oxycodone is a drug whose pharmacologic effect is very similar to that of morphine. Q: Who makes OxyContin? A: Purdue Pharma and its subsidiaries and affliates patented, developed, manufacture, market and distribute OxyContin. Purdue Pharma is wholly owned by the Purdue Frederick Company, which is dominated by the Sackler family. Q: Who are OxyContin's intended users? A: OxyContin was developed as a pain management drug for patients with terminal cancer. It was originally intended to help patients with chronic, severe pain. In the past several years, however, it has become more common for the drug to be prescribed for milder ailments such as sports injuries, dental problems, and broken bones. Q: Can OxyContin be abused like other prescription drugs? A: Yes. OxyContin abuse has been well documented all over the country. Hundreds of people have died from misusing OxyContin and more have had their lives disrupted. Although CAVO is primarily concerned with legitimate users who have become addicted, we are sympathetic to the plight of all people who have become addicted to OxyContin. For more information about the dangers and deadly consequences of OxyContin abuse, please visit www.oxyabusekills.com. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy also has an informative web site about OxyContin and it's abuse. Finally, the Media Awareness Project has an archive of news articles about OxyContin abuse and it's consequences. Even more troubling is that legitimate users — people who are prescribed OxyContin for medical reasons and are taking the drug as prescribed by their doctor are becoming horribly addicted. In many cases, legitimate OxyContin users have become addicted and have engaged in abusive behavior because of their addiction. Q: I have heard the OxyContin situation referred to as an epidemic. Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration? A: Unfortunately, there is no nationwide effort to compile statistics regarding OxyContin abuse and dependence. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that it is a serious problem in America. Oxycontin-related emergency room mentions have skyrocketed from 100 in 1996 to almost 15,000 last year. The drug is known to have killed 59 Kentuckians, according to The Louisville Courier-Journal and has been linked to 200 deaths in Florida, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy reports that 57 North Carolina residents died from OxyContin in the last three years. In Tennessee, the media has reported that 62% of addicts admitted to treatment centers cite OxyContin as their drug of choice, up from 21% just two years ago. At one treatment center for teens in Massachusetts, OxyContin addiction admissions are up 760%. We can guess these trends are repeated across the United States. Q: I thought that OxyContin was supposed to be "non-addictive." A: Many people, including physicians and pharmacists were led to believe that OxyContin was not addictive. Purdue Pharma, OxyContin's manufacturer told everyone — including government regulators — that the drug was not addictive. As it turns out, Purdue Pharma was not telling the truth and had not done the proper research to back up their statements. Purdue Pharma makes their claims based on a coating on the OxyContin pill that they claim releases the painkiller in small amounts over a period of twelve hours. However, the special coating does not work properly and patients must take additional OxyContin before twelve hours have passed — hastening their addiction. There is also evidence that aggressive marketing of the product has contributed to addiction. In Purdue Pharma v. Endo Pharmaceuticals, a federal judge ruled in early January that Purdue Pharma misled the Patent Office concerning the 12-hour efficacy of OxyContin. Judge Stein of the Southern District of NY ruled that Purdue Pharma's OxyContin patent is invalid because the company lied to the Patent Office when it said the drug provides 12 hours of pain relief to 90% of the patients. According to the judge, Purdue Pharma had no support for such a statement: "[t]he record as a whole reflects a clear pattern of intentional misrepresentation of a material fact" and Purdue Pharma's "repeated intentional misrepresentations are so serious as 'to warrant the severe sanction of holding the patent[s] unenforceable." This not only means that Purdue Pharma lied and has no real evidence regarding the efficacy of the 12 hour OxyContin time-release that has likely led to thousands of addictions, it also kept generics out of the market, potentially costing state Medicaid programs thousands, if not millions, of dollars. Physicians routinely prescribed OxyContin every 6-8 hours because patients regularly complained that it did not work the full 12 hours. Purdue Pharma counteracted this practice by telling their sales force to impress upon the doctors the need to increase the dose and not the frequency of prescribing OxyContin. Purdue Pharma was apparently afraid of two things: (1) If it became known that the drug did not last for 12 hours they could lose their patent and (2) Medicaid and other HMOs would refuse to pay the premium price for a 12 hour painkiller when, in fact, it needed to be prescribed every 6-8 hours. Q: Shouldn't people be warned about the dangers of OxyContin addiction? A: Of course. But Purdue Pharma has refused to acknowledge that OxyContin is more addictive than originally believed. Purdue Pharma was so intent on ignoring the addiction potential of OxyContin that it did not include a proper warning on the label — something that is routinely done with other opiates — until it was forced to do so. Incredibly, in a statement that reminds some of the tobacco industry's head-in-the-sand approach for many years, Purdue's senior medical director J. David Haddox has said he has "no credible information that people who take the drug as directed have become addicted," according to a Court TV report. Q: How do I know if I or someone I know is addicted to OxyContin? A: Addiction (substance dependence) is an uncontrollable compulsion to repeat a behavior regardless of its negative consequences. The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic Statistical Manual (known as DSM IV) lays describes substance dependence as "a maladaptive pattern of substance use, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by three (or more) of the following, occurring at any time in the same 12-month period:" Tolerance, as defined by either of the following: (a) a need for markedly increased amounts of the substance to achieve intoxication or desired effect, or (b) markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of the substance Withdrawal, as manifested by either of the following: (a) the characteristic withdrawal syndrome for the substance (refer to Criteria A and B of the criteria sets for Withdrawal from the specific substances) or (b) the same (or a closely related) substance is taken to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms The substance is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended There is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control substance use A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain the substance (e.g., visiting multiple doctors or driving long distances), use the substance (e.g., chain-smoking), or recover from its effects Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of substance use The substance use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the substance (e.g., current cocaine use despite recognition of cocaine-induced depression, or continued drinking despite recognition that an ulcer was made worse by alcohol consumption) If three or more of these criteria describe you, you are addicted.	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