CNB Medical : Harder-to-Abuse OxyContin Doesn’t Stop Illicit Use

The prescription painkiller OxyContin comes in several different dosages, including this 80 mg version. An abuse-deterrent formulation of the OxyContin (left), introduced in 2010, has curtailed its illicit use, but about 25 percent of drug abusers entering rehab still abuse the drug, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Newswise — A reformulation of OxyContin that makes it harder to abuse has curtailed the drug’s illicit use. But some 25 percent of drug abusers entering rehab said they still abused the prescription painkiller despite package labeling that emphasizes its abuse-deterrent properties, new research indicates.