New Painkiller Drugs More Addictive, Critics Warn
A powerful new painkiller is being developed by drug companies and critics are concerned it will increase the high addiction rates.
The new drug will be a more pure and stronger form of OxyContin, a widely used pain alleviation drug.
Likely to be in pill form, the new drug would contain copious amounts of the highly addictive painkiller hydrocodone.
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It would be the first time in US history that users could legally purchase pure hydrocodone. Critics argue that the new drug is so strong that abusers can easily get high, according to AP.
"I have a big concern...We just don't need this on the market," said April Rovero, president of the National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse.
Although the drug company Purdue Pharma of Stamford, Conn. designed OxyContin to be swallowed by users in genuine need of pain relief, many abusers tend to crush and snort the pills to get a more immediate high.
The Foundation For A Drug-Free World argues that painkillers are often just as detrimental as illicit drugs and claim that non-medical use of painkillers is on the rise.
"Prescription drug abuse is also climbing in older Americans, particularly involving anti-anxiety drugs such as Xanax and painkillers such as OxyContin," the foundation's Website states.
"Doctors and rehabilitation therapists report that prescription painkiller abuse is one of the most difficult addictions to treat," the Website adds.
While critics remain skeptical, pharmaceutical companies insist the stronger painkiller is an attempt to improve existing treatment for chronic pain relief.
They argue that many people, particularly the elderly, need stronger forms of treatment and the new drug will undoubtedly benefit some.
"Sometimes you circulate a patient between various opioids, and some may have a better effect than others," said Karsten Lindhardt, chief executive of Denmark-based Egalet, which is testing its own pure hydrocodone product.
According to drug free world, 10 percent of high school seniors abuse prescription painkillers like OxyContin.
OxyContin was first introduced in the U.S. in 1995 and is said to be the most abused medicine in the country.
