Oxycodone , heroin and government regulation
According to a government-funded survey, in 1999, an anticipated 4 million Americans aged 12 years or older used oral sedatives, stimulants, antipsychotic agents, or opioids in ways not intended by prescribers.
Prescription opioid pain medications such as Oxycontin and Vicodin can have effects similar to heroin.
The number of heroin users in the U.S. has doubled since 2002 to 335,000 people, and deaths related to drug have jumped 44 percent in just five years.
OxyContin is a prescription narcotic pain reliever. Its active ingredient isoxycodone, a derivative of opium.
Improper labeling and use of oxycodone can lead to overdose and death. FDArecognizes that opioid medications are associated with prescription drug misuse.
The FDA approved the original formulation of OxyContin in Dec. 1995
