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How Big Pharma Hooked America On Legal Heroin
pigrabbitbear writes "The active ingredient in OxyContin, oxycodone, isn't a new compound. It was originally synthesized in Germany in 1916. The patent on the medication had expired well before Purdue Pharma, a Stamford, Connecticut-based pharmaceutical company and the industry leader in pain medication, released it under the brand name in 1996. The genius of Purdue's continued foray into pain-management medication – they had already produced versions of hydromorphone, oxycodone, fentanyl, codeine, and hydrocodone – was twofold. They not only created a drug from an already readily available compound, but they were able to essentially re-patent the active ingredient by introducing a time-release element. Prior to the 1990s, strong opioid medications were not routinely given for miscellaneous or chronic, moderately painful conditions; the strongest classes of drugs were often reserved for the dying. But Purdue parlayed their time-release system not only into the patent for OxyContin. They also went on a PR blitz, claiming their drug was unique because of the time-release element and implied that it was so difficult to abuse that the risk of addiction was 'under 1%.'"
That just proves that Rush Limbaugh is part of the 1%.
They keep the cost low even though other drugs have increased considerably in cost.
Why is that, one might ask.
And of course, heroin itself was introduced as a "non-addictive" alternative to morphine.
From Wikipedia:
Funny how history repeats itself.
There's no -1 for "I don't get it."
The vast majority of people who are prescribed opiates do not become addicted to them. Most people who have try heroin or cocaine do not become junkies/fiends who destroy their lives in an attempt to stay high all the time. The "one hit and you're hooked for life" thing is just prohibition propaganda.
Another Slashdot 'article' full of slant and hyperbole.
Yep, Purdue over marketed the drug, Pharma always does that.
No, it was never considered 'safe' - oxycodone has always been DEA schedule II (the most 'dangerous of legal drugs').
What isn't discussed is that the reason that long acting opiates were allowed by the FDA was the increasing realization that medicine has done a historically poor job of treating pain.
Now, allopathic medicine has used, and continues to use a very immature and inadequate model both pain control and addiction. The former is hobbled by limited good research on the issue and the fact that the opiates (heroin, morphine, oxycodone and similar drugs) have been the most effective against serious pain while being significantly addictive. The latter hobbled by addiction being both a legal and a medical problem in the US. The legal system and the medical system tend to work poorly with each other and this is not an exception to that rule.
And I've not even started on the human propensity to stuff whatever it can down it's collective gullet in order to achieve some different level of consciousness.
Yep, Purdue did some poor marketing and a lot of docs (for some bizarre reason) fell for it, but they are hardly the only players in the game.
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
I won't touch the stuff. My former dentist gave it to me for a toothache to last thru the weekend till I could be seen. Taking the recommended dose for 2 days and I was already hooked enough to experience withdrawal symptoms for the next 3 days. Unbelievable.
On the next two occasions where I was offered the drug after surgery I said no, just give me ibuprofen. It's just not worth it.
If you live in Canada, CBC put out an excellent documentary about Perdue Pharma labs and oxydone marketing: http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/2011-2012/timebomb/
If it was OxyContin, then he probably died from acetominophen overdose. They add huge amounts (near lethal doses) to keep people from taking too many pills. Unfortunately, some people don't read the label nor understand the toxicity of Tylenol.
And unfortunately, reading comprehension is a problem with at least some ACs.
Oxycontin DOES NOT have acetaminophen (Tylenol for USer's, paracetamol for the rest of the world).
Percocet, Roxicet and various other short acting formulations do.
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
He died from a case of stupid.
Why in hell would you throw away a legal supply of opiate painkillers ? You put 'em in the back of the medicine cabinet, and take them with you on camping trips and such, so if a member of your party has a real problem (crushed limbs, deep lacerations, etc.) you have something for the pain on the way back out, or (worst case) waiting for a medevac.
I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer almost one year ago (7 Oct 2011) and have taken my share of oxycontin/oxycodone. All during chemotherapy, and especially after my surgery, I was taking oxycontin for base pain management, along with oxycodone for 'breakthrough' pain. My tumors responded to chemo wonderfully so that I was a candidate for surgery to have my primary tumor removed, colon ressected, metastatic liver tumors ablated, etc. At this point, I was taking 100mg oxycontin per day and an additional 50mg of oxycodone for 'breakthrough' pain. The narcotic effects slow down one's digestive system so much that I was also taking a shitload of stool softeners... pun intended.
By the time I finished my chemotherapy treatments (2 Jun 2012) I was thoroughly addicted to oxy. The only remaining pills I was taking were the pain meds and the stool softeners. I decided enough was enough and stopped taking oxycontin. It took a long week before I felt like myself again, escaping the cloudy buzz of oxy. Having gone through so much discomfort, I saw it as just another part of my recovery. Note: 'feeling like myself' is a relative term - after so much chemo, I wasn't myself anymore.
Now, my cancer is back and I'm starting chemo again this Thursday (20 Sep 2012). Having firsthand knowledge of addiction, kicking a 30+ year smoking habit and an oxy addiction, I will most likely resume taking oxy and get addicted all over again. Why? Because it helped me before. It will help me again. One week of mild discomfort from withdrawal symptoms is nothing compared to the pain and discomfort of chemotherapy.
15-20 years ago, doctors were written up and called out for not treating enough pain. As a profession, we understand intimately the inherent dangers of opioid pain medication, and we were hesitant to use them. But patients were hurting, articles were written, and I'm sure somewhere doctors were sued. So practices changed, "pain management" is now standard curriculum at medical schools and now look, deaths and hospitalizations from prescription pain medication are at all-time highs. Purdue was likely riding the wave of the change in pain management philosophy at the time when they introduced OxyContin. The right drug at the right time, etc.
Light a fire for a man and he'll be warm for a day. Light a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
After being the victim of a serious accident, I was in an enormous amount of pain. Oxycodone was a real goddsend. Maybe it takes a soul-shattering amount of pain to really appreciate the value of this drug. Yes, there are lots of addicts - but far more people are addicted to nicotiene. These slams against 'big pharma' for the black market in this drug are counter-productive and quite maddening. Doctors are becoming afraid to prescribe painkillers because they'll be accused of being 'pill doctors', so many people who don't know they have to advocate for themselves in this situation have to suffer unnecessarily. Tip: if you get a prescription, get as many pills as you can. Save some for later, because you'll never know when the anti-drug lobby will cut off the supply.
BTW this isn't news for nerds. Is this the new direction of Slashdot under new ownership? Rage-news in all categories, not just tech?
And the Anti-Drug lobby writes another opinion piece that medicine should not be treating pain and pharma is out of control by providing new pain management options.
The reason pain prescriptions have gone up is that medicine isn't telling people to take 2 asprin and fuck off. The reason my father has a fucked up GI system is because of the asprin abuse because he was never given the option of real pain management.
As a chronic pain sufferer I wish every one of these fucktards that think no one should be on pain management could experience a month of what I do every day. The constant thoughts of suicide, the near complete lack of life, enjoyment or any satisfaction in life, the exhaustion and the constant work just getting out of bed every day. There is a reason there is an ex law enforcement organization devoted to campaigning proper pain management and it's because some of those lucky people get to experience real chronic pain.
Someone that's never experienced chronic severe pain has no fucking idea what it's like.
oxycodone is different and acts through a different receptor
No, oxycodone acts primarily through the mu opioid receptor just like morphine.
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
Only a specialist could hope to keep track of them all.
Even specialists sometimes can't. One of the problems with our health care system is that the sheer amount of medications have overwhelmed the average doctor's ability to keep up. Pharmacists are typically much better, but that's because they focus entirely on prescription drugs.
Then again, at no time in our history have we, the patients, had as much information at our fingertips. There are online drug databases where we can look up information on the prescriptions we take. It's beyond stupid to take any drug without reading the 2-3 pages of text on precautions, interactions and other general information. Google searches will yield even more information. If you have any concerns, it's very easy to bring your concerns to a pharmacist who will most likely be able to help you on the spot or will, at a minimum, look up the information necessary and figure out how to answer your questions.
added something tat makes it time release, thus fixing some of the major issues.
I am supposed to be outraged..why? Becasue something was out of patent, that made something new and patented it.
Well, that's how it's supposed to work.
Shit you should be applauding the successful and proper use of the patent system
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
oxycodone is different and acts through a different receptor
No it doesn't. It has different selectivity and binding affinity among the subtypes of opioid receptors, but acts through the same receptor as heroin (i.e. predominantly the mu-opioid receptor) and every other drug classified as a full agonist opioid.
Is Chronic, so why not ACCEPT and MANAGE addiction?
"This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
because it is a Schedule I drug. Writing a prescription for a Schedule I drug would quickly bring the DEA down on the prescribing physician, most likely eliminating said doctor's ability to prescribe any other controlled drugs.
It can, however be RECOMMENDED by a physician. The card you get in CA or other medical MJ states shows that your doctor thinks that cannabis might help your condition. It doesn't specify dosage, form, route of administration, or frequency of use like a standard prescription would.
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Many chronic pain sufferers will tell you that they had never imagined it was even possible to feel so much pain. They live in a universe of pain unknown to most of us. Try to imagine yourself in bed with pain shooting through your body that is so intense that you cannot move. It seems it could get no worse, but any effort to move doubles, triples the intensity. So there you lie weeping but not sobbing because that would hurt even more. Now imagine that you know for a fact that there is a pill you could take that would let you get out of bed and go to work. But you won't get it. Why? Because the DOJ does not trust you not to sell it on the street. How does that make you feel?
A direct marketer once told me that if he ever managed to get an accurate list of 500 rich, narcissistic and gullible individuals, he would never need to work hard for a living again.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."