OxyContin Without Safety Features could Return to Pharmacies

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A national organization that fights prescription drug abuse is sounding the alarm about the possibility of pain pills without safety features being released to pharmacies across the nation. The nonprofit Center for Lawful Access and Abuse Deterrence (CLAAD) is urging the FDA to prevent the return of crushable versions of OxyContin and Opana.

Under government pressure, the makers of these powerful opioid drugs reformulated their products to prevent abuse. The new versions of the drugs are resistant to crushing, making it impossible to smoke, snort or inject the drugs in order to circumvent their time-release formula. Studies have shown that prescription drug abusers and dealers are less interested in the new versions of the drugs because of their tamper-resistant features.

The Generics Might Not Be Safeguarded

Despite evidence that reformulation of painkillers has reduced abuse, several drug companies have requested …

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Opana Overtaking OxyContin as Most Abused Painkiller

Fort Wayne, Indiana, a medium-sized city of 200,000, has experienced more than a dozen pharmacy robberies since the beginning of 2012. In almost every case, the robbers were after a powerful prescription painkiller named Opana. Less well-known than OxyContin, Opana is the brand name for oxymorphone. Like OxyContin, Opana is an opiate medication that carries a high risk of abuse, dependency and overdose. Unlike OxyContin, Opana is still available in an extended-release formula that appeals to abusers who are seeking a more intense high. According to drug enforcement experts, the rising popularity of Opana can be attributed to a change made to OxyContin that makes pills harder to crush for snorting or dissolve for injecting. Individuals who are addicted to prescription drugs have a tendency to adapt according the drug availability and many are now turning to Opana to feed…
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Who Should Pay for Prescription Drug Disposal?

Government drug experts have found that many teenagers and adults who abuse prescription drugs obtain them from people they know with prescriptions or steal them from the medicine cabinets of family and friends. Starting in 2010, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has held a series of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Days to encourage Americans to safely dispose of unused and unwanted prescription medications. More than 5600 take-back sites have been established, covering all 50 states. The Take-Back program has removed a total of 775 tons of medication from circulation, avoiding the chances of diversion and abuse.

 

The National Prescription Drug Take-Back program has been so effective that some local jurisdictions have established their own drug drop-off programs. In Alameda County in Northern California, 28 publicly-funded drop locations are available year round for residents to dispose of prescription drugs. Besides…
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Doctors Petition for New Prescription Painkiller Rules to Limit Abuse

In an effort to protect the public from prescription drug abuse, a group of 37 doctors and public health officials have petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to change the prescription guidelines for opioid painkillers.

They have asked the FDA to change the labeling for drugs like OxyContin and Opana, prohibiting use of the drugs for treatment of moderate pain, adding a maximum daily dosage and specifying that patients should only take them for 90 days if not under treatment for cancer-related pain.

By changing the labels of these prescription drugs, the group hopes to limit promotion of the drugs for non-approved uses by drug makers like Purdue Pharma, Pfizer and Endo Health Solutions. OxyContin and Opana, which are both extended-release painkillers, are marketed by Purdue Pharma and Endo Health for the treatment of moderate pain to severe pain.…
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Opana Cuts a Deadly Path through Rural America

Opana is now almost universally sought out by opiate addicted individuals. This drug is a little newer and may not sound as familiar as OxyContin or Vicodin, but it creates the same type of “opiate high” as those drugs (and heroin).

Opana is especially notable for it’s potency (and thus, proclovity for addiction and overdose).

The Chicago Tribute recently focused on the growing problem of Opana abuse in rural areas of America. Opana, a narcotic painkiller that contains oxymorphone, is one of the highly addictive drugs that are part of the nation’s current epidemic of prescription drug abuse.

Scott County in Indiana is an example of the type of rural area that has been hardest hit by Opana abuse. Located in southern Indiana, the county has a population of about 24,000. According to county coroner Kevin Collins, at least 9 …

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Opana – A Popular Substitute for OxyContin Users

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Opana: A Powerful Prescription Opioid

Opana is a drug that was created initially to combat the abuse issues that arose with Purdue Pharma’s most popular and addictive drug, Oxycontin. Unfortunately, this drug is abused often just like its predecessor. People often crush the pills and then chew, inject or snort them.

Newer formulas have been made to be crush-proof, so they can’t be ingested quickly to get high. This version can drive a person with an opioid addiction to the streets to get their fix.

Facts About Opana

Opana is seeing a rise in popularity as a drug of choice among opioid users. Here are some facts about the drug:

  • Opana is the brand name for oxymorphone hydrochloride.
  • Like Oxycodone, Opana is a narcotic painkiller that is similar to morphine but much, much stronger.
  • Opana should never be taken
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