Oxycodone Facts, History and Statistics

Oxycodone is an opioid agonist also known as a ‘painkiller’ that is usually prescribed to treat mild to extreme pain which can’t be managed with other drugs. The drug is semi-synthetic opioid that was initially developed in 1916 using thebaine, an ingredient that is found in the poppy plant and closely related to other narcotics including heroin and morphine.

History

Oxycodone was initially created as a part of a plan to find alternatives that were not addictive to these substances, which were frequently used in medical practices prior to as well as in World War I. While the US only represents about 5percent of the population in the world, it is estimated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) estimates that 81 percent out of all world’s stock Oxycodone is currently consumed in this country. However, oxycodone has an extremely high risk of addiction and abuse. Like other opiates, it functions in a similar way by binding opioid receptors found in the spinal cord and brain and the receptors that are the ones responsible for both

The pain-relieving effects patients require.

In higher doses, you can experience the euphoric effects abusers want are more intense.

People who use oxycodone with out a prescription or taking more than what is prescribed by their physician are at likelihood of developing addiction and dependence. Oxycodone is typically prescribed in combination with other pain relieving drugs such as Acetaminophen (Percocet) in addition to tablets with extended release (buying oxycontin online). Before, oxycodone as well as other opiate medications were only prescribed predominantly for pain that was short-term. However, the changes in guidelines from the government and a frenzied advertising by drug companies has caused a massive rise in the last 25 years in prescriptions for the drug for long-term use by people suffering from chronic pain. The increase in prescriptions legal of oxycodone has boosted access to it in US and an increasing quantity of the substance is being sold to street-users. The most significant sources of oxycodone available for purchase on black markets are:

Forged prescriptions.

“Doctor-shopping” for prescriptions.

Break-ins to pharmacies and robberies.

Diversification by unlicensed dentists and doctors (pill-mills).

The availability of oxycodone in prescriptions as well as through the illicit market contributes to an increased chance of developing medical issues and overdoses resulting from the drug. If you’re taking the drug oxycodone, you’re putting your health in danger. It is not necessary to be suffering.

Who’s Abusing Oxycodone?

The current statistics on the use of oxycodone offer two perspectives on the issue. They suggests that while oxycodone abuse isn’t growing any more in the US however, it’s not declining. Take a look at the following data:

2013. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health revealed that those between the ages of 18 and 25 were the most likely to be reported as using the drug oxycodone (9.9 percent) in comparison up to 6.6% those aged 26 and over.

Monitoring the Future Survey Monitoring the Future Survey, sponsored by NIDA found that approximately one in 30 high school students has used OxyContin at least one time.

The number of people using OxyContin during the last twelve months decreased between 2012 and 2013 but the percentage of people who had ever taken the drug for other reasons than medical between 2012 and 2013. This indicates that, while there are fewer users currently using the drug than before and more are using this drug on their own for the first time. In the same way, NIDA reports that despite the slight decrease in OxyContin use in the past year, the rate of abuse involving oxycodone overall has remained constant. This suggests that the changes made in the formulation of OxyContin that have made it harder to abuse has only led users to shift to different kinds of the drug rather than completely quitting. The use of Oxycodone can be particularly terrifying because it could cause heroin abuse because addicts could turn to heroin when the oxycodone pill becomes too difficult to acquire or too expensive.

The Oxycodone Market

The number of prescriptions for oxycodone filled last year by US pharmacies According to NIDA. This is roughly one bottle of the medication for every six living in the United States. If purchased legally from pharmacies, the average cost of 30 tablets of 40 mg in OxyContin is $240 or approximately $0.20 for each milligram. Due to the potency of oxycodone, and the extreme dependence that users create the black market value of the drug is significantly higher. A study from 2013 found the street value of oxycodone as being approximately 1 cent per milligram across all areas within the US (about $40 for a tablet of 40 mg of buy oxycontin online) 5 times increase over the price of legal. This is an incentive for those who have prescriptions for oxycodone that are legal as well as pharmacists and doctors who have access to these medications selling their prescriptions in the dark market increasing the amount of oxycodone for recreational users.

Is Oxycodone Illegal?

Legal Penalties of Using Oxycodone

Doctors and pharmacists must comply with strict requirements for record-keeping when they dispensing Schedule II drugs such as oxycodone. In addition, there are severe criminal penalties for possessing illegally and dispensing such drugs. Under federal laws governing drugs which can impose sentences as high as 20 years in prison as well as fines of $1 million can be handed out for trafficking in the drug oxycodone. Additionally, if death is caused by the selling to the public (overdose or other) the possibility of a life-long sentence may be imposed. If it is used on a valid prescription basis, it’s not unlawful. But it’s important to note that it was categorized as an Schedule II drug by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in the 1960s’ early years, that means it has:

Recognized medical use.

AND

There is a high risk of abuse.

Other drugs that are included in Schedule II include:

Hydromorphone (Dilaudid).

Adderall.

Ritalin.

While it has been used in clinical trials for over 100 years but the current frenzied problem of abuse didn’t begin until the early 1990s. In 1995 in 1995, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved OxyContin the extended-release variant of the drug, with the same limitations as other forms of oxycodone. However, the high rates for OxyContin abuse were discovered in the eastern part of the US shortly after the drug’s introduction, and quickly became widespread across the country. Due to their extended-release formula, OxyContin tablets may contain a high dose of oxycodone ranging from to 80 mg per pill which allows patients suffering from extreme pain to take less pills daily. This potency is attractive to drug dealers and addicts due to two main reasons:

More tablets should be purchased.

Injecting and crushing the tablets or by snorting tablets, users with high tolerance levels may more easily reach a high.

The effort has been made to limit the appeal of buying oxycontin online users who abuse it, such as:

The most potent tablets of 160mg.

A brand new formulation in the year 2010 made it harder for tablets to be crushed or crumbled to release all the dosage all simultaneously.

These changes could be the reason for the recent decline in OxyContin usage that has been reported. However, as the abuse of oxycodone general is not changing and many users might never have quit taking oxycodone and instead switched to alternative types or forms of this drug.

How Dangerous Is Oxycodone?

Oxycodone, as with all drugs that cause pain, may trigger addiction and life-threatening consequences when used. Additionally, the methods used by users to boost the feeling of euphoria that comes from the drug, such as taking large amounts in a single go and crushing pills for snorting or injecting–increase the chance of developing dependence or having an unfavorable reaction. an overdose.