OxyContin's dangers outweigh its benefits

Boston Herald ^ | Tuesday, May 17, 2005 | Stephen F. Lynch (Congressman)

[Radix]

 Last week, in response to mounting problems with the painkiller OxyContin, I filed legislation in Congress to withdraw its Food and Drug Administration approval and remove it from the market. While the bill received a robust response from both supporters and opponents, there remains considerable misunderstanding as to the nature of the OxyContin threat.
     This product is one of the most addictive substances to be sold legally in the United States. It is more addictive than cocaine and second only to heroin in addictiveness among narcotics. The premise of my legislation is that the drug is so inherently addictive that it is unsafe for the general population to whom it is being marketed and prescribed.
     As originally approved, OxyContin was supposed to be for end-stage cancer patients and others with severe and escalating pain - those people for whom the drug's addictive propensity was balanced by the extreme circumstances of the patient. Because of its overpowering addiction rate, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency described OxyContin as a painkiller of last resort.
     However, as the Government Accountability Office has reported, Purdue Pharma has aggressively expanded the market for OxyContin to include patients who suffer from mild to moderate and intermittent pain related to broken bones, dental discomfort and lower back pain. In stunning testimony, a former district manager for Purdue Pharma in West Virginia disclosed that the company instructed sales reps to tell doctors ``it is `virtually' non-addicting.''
     As a result of Purdue Pharma's reckless marketing of OxyContin, the number of prescriptions exploded, and by 2003 nearly half of all OxyContin prescriptions were being written by primary care doctors, not pain management specialists.
     The FDA issued three warning letters to Purdue Pharma about its unlawful marketing representations in May 2000, August 2001 and January 2003. In the last letter, Thomas Abrams, director of the FDA Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising and Communications, stated: ``Your journal advertisements are misleading because they make prominent claims of effectiveness for pain relief, but omit from the body of advertisements crucial facts related to the serious, potentially fatal safety risks associated with the risks of OxyContin to be abused, and the limitations on its appropriate indicated use.''
     Meanwhile, it appears the incidence of OxyContin addiction is going off the charts. Fifty-six percent of all OxyContin addictions have occurred in patients who were legally prescribed the drug.
     My legislation would be unnecessary if manufacturer Purdue Pharma, which derives 80 percent of its profit from this one drug, took mitigating steps without congressional pressure.
     It could, for instance, redesign the drug with a lower addiction rate and build in precautions to prevent OxyContin's time-release feature from being overridden and abused. The manufacturer could provide consistent label warnings as to OxyContin's addictive characteristics, and cease and desist its aggressive marketing of the drug by salespeople and ``detailers'' to primary care physicians. By restricting the distribution chain to specialists at pain clinics and hospitals, and by limiting the conditions for which OxyContin may be prescribed, the dangers could be greatly diminished.
     Finally, Purdue Pharma should become more engaged in research and rehabilitation efforts aimed at treating those with OxyContin addictions. But until we see meaningful steps to make OxyContin safer, I have no other option than to seek its removal.

[Radix]

You likely will not find Rep. Lynch writing for the Boston Globe. I once mistook his antipathy for the other newspaper in Boston as an indication that he was really a DINO.

Untrue, since taking office Lynch has rolled over and is indistinguishable in most (not all) ways from the delegation from Mass.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Outlaw the drug. Problem solved.

The world will be perfect once we have outlawed everything.

[pabianice]

Spoken like a true liberal putz who has never had to suffer with terrible chronic pain.

[coloradan]

This product is one of the most addictive substances to be sold legally in the United States. It is more addictive than cocaine and second only to heroin in addictiveness among narcotics.

Convenient to limit the comparison among narcotics ... that way, tobacco is excluded. Now, you want to talk about dangers outweiging benefits? Let's talk about tobacco.

(Do I favor a tobacco ban? No, I favor repeal of all drug prohibitions.)

[Gingersnap]

This is ridiculous. Everything, apparently, is more addictive than heroin or coke. Yet amazingly most heroin and coke addicts mature out of the lifestyle and quit on their own.

There is no sane reason to deny medication to those who need it.

[tarawa]

That guy really needs to have his head examined. For the people who need this drug, who cares if its addictive? You know, oxygen can be a little addictive as well, but I don't see any plans to outlaw it (although, if Congress could find a way to tax it....).

[Lexington Green]

DANGER DANGER ... You could become addicted to not hurting.

[Sybeck1]

My grandfather was using this as he lost his fight with panceratic cancer three weeks ago today. It really didn't help him much listening to his moans that weeks.

[ActionNewsBill]

This product is one of the most addictive substances to be sold legally in the United States. It is more addictive than cocaine and second only to heroin in addictiveness among narcotics

That would still make it less addictive than nicotine.

[JoeSixPack1]

Politicians giving medical advice.

Let him slip a vertabre and deny him his Oxy.
Then give him an off the shelf pair of non addictive tylenol and ask him why he has tears in his eyes from the pain.

[WV Mountain Mama]

My sister was prescribed oxy after a carbon monoxide accident that led to the eventual amputation of her foot. She stopped taking it because when she took it, she was no longer angry about her accident. She was smart enough to realize that was not a good thing. She never finished taking her first prescription and never got it refilled.

[7thOF7th]

The most important element to look at here is; first, ascertain the total number of units manufactured and then compare that to the number of legal prescriptions issued by doctors. After doing the homework ask yourselves where the difference is going???? Hmmmm? This is the argument that never gets started by our leadership because they know the drug companies are doing it. They know that the pills that are not prescribed are finding there way into the black market. What are they doing about it? Nothing but sticking their heads in the sand while their hands are out reaching for dollars.

This drug is an opiate and accumulates over time in the body's brain. As a user consumes the drug more is required as time goes on to achieve the desired effect. The problem is that once the level of toxicity is reached the user doesn't realize it till its too late. Lets force our government to at least clamp down on the controls for distribution and make doctors accountable for its distribution.

I know of four people this last year who died of OC overdose here in St. Louis lets do something to abate this problem.

[JAWs]

Wonderful. Let some damn junkies take away something that conquers the pain of cancer patients. Bravo, Lynch you dolt!

[robjna]

I have watched my son turn from a sweet kid into a lying , stealing, saddened individual from oxycontin addiction. THis is a terrible drug that has been abused beyond the scope of what you can imagine. I am sure the hard asses on here will repy with how my son is no good and weak and its not their problem, but the fact that this drug is prescribed so easily has made it an epidemic.
He is now on the road to recovery, but only through help from inpatient at the hazelden foundation and still is in a half way house to introduce him back into life as a sober person. This was a straight A kid with a future of great potentential. His Addiction has cost him 3 years of his life
So if OC is taken off the market , no tears will be shed from me. To give you an idea of the potency, percocet contains 5 ml of opiates, OC sells tablets containing 20, 40 60 and 80 ml. It is suppose to be a time release tablet for chronic severe pain like cancer patients. Kids crush and snort the tablets which counteracts the time release, even crushing and chewing does it.
The high is the same as a heroin buzz and the addiction of
OC is tremendous. Take it from someone who has dealt with it for years and studied it.
Purdue Pharma has shown no regard for the epedemic it caused by making so readily accessible and not fixing the time release by-pass.
THe addict will stop at nothing to keep his addiction going. It took me a long time to understand about opiate receptors in the body and how they play a role in certain people.
The fact that this drug can be found on the street of any city in America shows neglect on purdue pharmas part in monitoring its usage and how it seeks profits over safety.
So ok hard asses go at me, but this is one guy who has fought a battle to get my son back and is just now seeing the
fruits of a long battle to do so.

[bil052gr8]

Nothing like trying to outlaw a much needed pain relieve medication for those who need it. NO more outlawing, no more controls, enough is enough ...

[IMissPresidentReagan]

Oxycontin is undoubtedly a dangerous drug, but outlawing the drug that benefits those with terminal illnesses and chronic pain because doctors irresponsibly prescribe it (at least here, all you have to do is request a prescription and some doctors will write it out without examining you in the least) seems ludicrous.

I just don't understand the liberal belief that if something has a *potential* undesired effect then it should be made illegal. Since when did the LAW prevent people from obtaining a product. Last time I checked it was illegal to manufacture methamphetamine, but it doesn't seem to have curbed the manufacturing or marketing of that drug; all done ILLEGALLY I may add.

[bil052gr8]

All drugs - legal or non-legal are abused. Outlawing and controling them doesnt help others who actually need them ... Dont blame anyone on ur sons addiction ... addiction lies in everyone ... you jus got to fight it and over come ...

[robjna]

"Dont blame anyone on ur sons addiction"

I didnt blame anyone on my sons addiction, i just tried to inform you guys on this drug, so save it.

[JoeSixPack1]

And just how did your addicted, in rehab son, come to have these drugs?

[robjna]

"And just how did your addicted, in rehab son, come to have these drugs?"

I am such an ass, so many times I think this site can provide some compassion for those with troubles. Guess I will stick to reading and stop contributing.