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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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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