OxyContin

4 Pages 1054 Words

OxyContin: Savior or Killer?
THESIS STATEMENT: The recent death’s from the misuse of OxyContin have caused government officials as well as the manufacturers of OxyContin to begin taking steps in trying to curb it’s abuse.
I. OxyContin
A. What it is
B. Abuse of OxyContin
C. Deaths from OxyContin abuse
II. Taking steps to stop abuse of OxyContin
III. Steps DEA is taking to stop abuse
IV. Steps OxyContin manufacturer is taking to stop abuse



OxyContin: Savior or Killer?
The synthetic opioid OxyContin has become a drug of abuse, following in the steps of other prescription level drugs that contain Oxycodone. The recent death’s from the misuse of the drug has caused government officials as well as the manufacturer of OxyContin, Purdue Pharma; to take action in attempting to curb it’s abuse. OxyContin is an opioid analgesic in a time release form that when used properly releases a small amount of the active ingredient Oxycodone into a patients bloodstream. OxyContin is supplied in 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg, 80 mg, and 160 mg tablets. The tablet strengths describe the amount of Oxycodone that is released with each pill. The intended use of the drug OxyContin is to treat moderate to severe pain in cancer patients and other sufferers of pain.
OxyContin is abused when the time-release mechanism in the drug is broken. This is usually done by crushing up the pills and then snorting or preparing them for intravenous injection. With it’s rampant abuse in rural areas of the country it has become known as “the poor man’s heroin” or “hillbilly heroin”. Now it has moved on to bigger cities as well as the rural areas and has began to cause big problems. “It is a problem that is growing and can spread extensively,” says Charles Miller of the National Drug Intelligence Center in Johnstown, Pa. In most cases, abusers are first exposed to it through a parent or grandparent who has a prescription for legitimate medical r...