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You or someone you know may be receiving prescriptions for a pain killer known as OxyContin. Most doctors or pharmacists fail to warn you of the addicting quality of this drug. If you take OxyContin long enough you may innocently find yourself unable to quit taking the pain medication. You can become physically dependent and addicted without even realizing it. Drug abusers also become addicted when using prescription medications as a way to get high everyday.

The withdrawal symptoms are unbelievably hard to withstand. You will experience extreme bouts of diarrhea, nausea, and extreme fatigue. In fact the only time you will get out of bed is when you feel the need to run to the bathroom. These symptoms can last for weeks or even months. Now you can ask yourself, "Did the doctor who prescribed you this medication explain that this may happen?" Was there a warning on your prescription bottle or in the pamphlet that the pharmacist included with your prescription? The answer is no.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration Oxycodone products have been abused for the past 30 years. Oxycodone is the main ingredient in OxyContin which is the brand name of the analgesic chemical oxycodone. OxyContin is prescribed as a pain killer for moderate to high pain relief. It is normally prescribed for conditions such as fractures, back pain, or the pain associated with cancer. It is produced by the pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma.

Meanwhile the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration has come up with an action plan to help reduce the abuse of OxyContin. The problem they are facing is the increasing number of sales of a legitimate and legal pain management drug. Sales of OxyContin have reached $1 billion in over just a little more than 4 years. This statistic is alarming and shows why drug companies are not overly concerned about the problems this drug is causing. The 4 part plan that the DEA has established requires the cooperation of Purdue Pharma to alter the chemical ingredients of the drug to make it harder for abusers to inject the drug. It also includes drug awareness and education plans for the public. The DEA also plans to inform doctors of OxyContin addiction and will begin monitoring the increase of requested amounts of the drug from the drug manufacturer. And of course the DEA will be focusing their resources on targeting groups that are involved in the illegal sale and distribution of this narcotic.

OxyContin comes in a variety of strengths but the most commonly abused is the 40 mg. tablets. Abusers of OxyContin, when "dope sick" will do anything to find means to get the drug. They will forge prescriptions, try "doctor shopping", go to the streets looking for someone to buy them from, or in the worse case scenario they might even try holding up a pharmacy. Once they have found a "fix" they can abuse the drug in alternative ways. They may crush the tablets so that they can inhale them or inject them to achieve a stronger "high" than if taken orally. This increases the effects that the abuser is trying to achieve. It also increases the chance of respiratory failure and even death.

Only public awareness and health care industry education can reduce the abuse of OxyContin by drug addicts and even help patients who are unaware of the possibility of addiction when prescribed this medication. This epidemic requires immediate action from both the DEA and media industries.

Learn more about this author, Kristen Furia.
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