OxyContin More Addictive Than Previously Reported... for at Least One This Revelation Comes Too Late

The makers of the painkiller OxyContin pled guilty about misleading doctors and the public about the addictive nature of its drug. For many this admission may come just in time. For my dear friend, this info comes more than a little too late.

Purdue Pharma L.P and three of its former and current executives have pled guilty to leading those in the medical field and the public about how addictive the painkiller OxyContin is. The makers and its representatives gave false information stating OxyContin or its trade name Oxycodone were less likely to be as addictive in nature when compared to other painkillers.

This information eased the minds of many physicians and patients alike concerning this drug and the potential for its abuse. In reality, OxyContin is highly addictive and in many cases it is abused. The company knew how addictive this drug was but created this false sense of security to ease the minds of doctors and increase annually the amount of prescriptions written for it.

OxyContin is intended to be swallowed. However for many that abuse this medication it is crushed and either snorted or taken thru injections. When taken in its incorrect manner it can create sensations and highs compared to the illegal drug heroin. In a five-year span from 1996 to 2001, deaths connected with this highly addictive and abused drug skyrocketed to a record high of 400 percent. The drug maker Purdue Pharma L.P. and the executives involved will pay 634.5 million in fines for this falsehood and misrepresentation to physicians and to the public.

My friend was a mother, a wife, a daughter, and cherished by many. She died addicted to the medication prescribed to her by her doctor. A physician prescribing medication with false information and belief in its safety based on what was provided to him by its makers.

In the beginning, OxyContin seemed the answer to her pain and helped her live a more normal life. Watching this drug turn into a growing addiction was very difficult and painful for all involved to watch. Little did she know that the very drug that she trusted to make her days easier would be the thing that brought her life to its end.

634.5 million dollars seems an astounding sum to many. For families of loved ones who are addicted or whose addiction ended in death this sum is just a number on paper. No amount of money can bring back a loved one. I hope with the proper information on OxyContin and its addictive nature exposed other families will not have to face this or the downward spiral of addiction that some fall to.