The highly addictive narcotic drug, OxyContin®, is linked to at least 282 overdose-related deaths. OxyContin® is prescribed to patients suffering from severe, long-term pain caused by serious injuries or illnesses. For those who have legal prescriptions and experience debilitating pain, OxyContin® can be a godsend, but the drug has become popular on the streets because of the euphoric properties it shares with opium, heroin, and morphine.

Derived from an opium alkaloid, OxyContin® is a narcotic and can easily become addictive. While oxycodone has been used in other medications (Percoset, Percodan, Tylox) for years in the United States, the 1996 unveiling of OxyContin® saw unprecedented amounts of oxycodone available in a 12-hour release formula. At one point, 160 mg pills were available, which contain 32 times as much oxycodone as one Percoset pill. Abusers quickly found ways to get around OxyContin’s time-released formula, by crushing the pills and snorting them or mixing them with water to ingest or inject. Because OxyContin® is somewhat inexpensive, many insurance companies will cover the cost, which only encourages further abuse of this potent drug. OxyContin® is sold widely on the streets, and fraudulent prescriptions for OxyContin® are not hard to obtain, as patients will sometimes fake or exaggerate injuries to get it.

Unfortunately, OxyContin® has been connected to at least 282 deaths, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), mainly from overdose. The risk of serious injury and death increases when OxyContin® is used with other drugs. In 2001, the FDA strengthened the warning and precautions section on OxyContin® labels, due to recurring reports of addiction and overdose.

Many people blame OxyContin’s manufacturer, Purdue Pharmaceuticals, for spending more resources on marketing the drug than educating the public about its risks. Purdue responds by saying they are investigating the use of naloxone in OxyContin® pills. The effectiveness of this “smart” drug is questionable, and is not yet approved by the FDA.

If you or a loved one was injured or killed by an OxyContin® addiction in the Philadelphia area, you have seen enough suffering. The OxyContin® attorneys at the Law Firm of Eisenberg, Rothweiler, Winkler, Eisenberg & Jeck, P.C. are prepared to handle your case and reclaim ample damages for your pain. Contact our Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area OxyContin® lawyers today.