Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2007 Nov;164(11):1750-6.
doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.07050252.

Prescription OxyContin abuse among patients entering addiction treatment

Deni Carise  1 , Karen Leggett Dugosh, A Thomas McLellan, Amy Camilleri, George E Woody, Kevin G Lynch
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Prescription OxyContin abuse among patients entering addiction treatment

Deni Carise et al. Am J Psychiatry. 2007 Nov.

Abstract

Objective: OxyContin and other pharmaceutical opioids have been given special attention in the media, who frequently describe problematic users of the drug as previously drug-naive individuals who become addicted following legitimate prescriptions for medical reasons. The purpose of this study was to characterize the nature and origins of pharmaceutical opioid addiction among patients presenting at substance abuse treatment programs.

Method: The authors evaluated the prevalence and correlates of OxyContin use and abuse among a population of 27,816 subjects admitted to 157 addiction treatment programs in the United States from 2001-2004. The data collected included the lifetime and past 30-day use of OxyContin and other drugs prior to admission to addiction treatment, source of drug supply, and prior treatment history.

Results: Approximately 5% of all subjects who were admitted to the 157 addiction treatment programs reported prior use of OxyContin. Of those subjects, 4.5% reported using the drug on a regular basis for at least 1 year, and 2% reported use of the drug during the 30 days prior to admission. Seventy-eight percent of subjects who reported OxyContin use also reported that the drug had not been prescribed to them for any medical reason, 86% reported use of the drug to "get high or get a buzz," and 78% reported receiving prior treatment for a substance use disorder.

Conclusions: The patients in this sample did not include individuals from private therapists or pain clinics. However, among treatment-seeking individuals who use OxyContin, the drug is most frequently obtained from nonmedical sources as part of a broader and longer-term pattern of multiple substance abuse.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

  • OxyContin abuse: who are the users?
    Rawson RA, Maxwell J, Rutkowski B. Rawson RA, et al. Am J Psychiatry. 2007 Nov;164(11):1634-6. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.07091393. Am J Psychiatry. 2007. PMID: 17974924 No abstract available.

References

    1. Center for Substance Abuse Research. Number of First Time Non-Medical Users of Prescription Pain Relievers Remains at Peak Level, Rivaling Marijuana; Number of New Ecstasy Users Declines. College Park, Md: CESAR; 2004.
    1. Cicero TJ, Inciardi JA, Munoz AS. Trends in abuse of OxyContin and other opioid analgesics in the United States: 2002–2004. J Pain. 2005;6:662–672. - PubMed
    1. Novak S, Nemeth WC, Lawson KA. Trends in medical use and abuse of sustained-release opioid analgesics: a revisit. Pain Med. 2004;5:59–65. - PubMed
    1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Overview of Findings From the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Office of Applied Studies, NHSDA Series H-21, DHHS Publication No. SMA 03-3774) Rockville, Md: SAMHSA; 2003.
    1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; Results From the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings (Office of Applied Studies, NSDUH Series H-25, DHHS Publication No. SMA 04-3964) Rockville, Md: SAMHSA; 2004.

Publication types

MeSH terms