oxycodone

oxycodone, semisynthetic drug with potent pain-relieving effects that is derived from thebaine, an alkaloid that occurs naturally in the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). Oxycodone was synthesized from thebaine in 1916 and was first used clinically the following year. Today it is prescribed for moderate to severe pain and is sold under various brand names, including OxyContin, Percolone, and Oxyfast. A widely prescribed drug known as Percocet contains oxycodone in combination with acetaminophen.

Oxycodone produces pain-relieving effects by binding to and stimulating opioid receptors in the central nervous system. This action, which inhibits the neural relay of pain signals from affected parts of the body to the brain, mimics the behaviour of endorphins, which are pain-suppressing compounds that occur naturally in the human body. In addition to effecting pain relief, stimulation of opioid receptors by oxycodone also elicits psychological responses such as euphoria and activates reward pathways in the brain. These activities render the drug highly addictive and are responsible for producing withdrawal symptoms in patients who have been taking oxycodone for prolonged periods of time. Prolonged use also desensitizes opioid receptors, resulting in tolerance to oxycodone and necessitating increasing doses of the drug to achieve pain relief. Excessive doses, however, can produce respiratory depression, convulsion, and loss of consciousness.

Oxycodone has a high risk of abuse because of its addictive nature. In many countries its manufacture, prescription, and distribution are regulated on a federal level. For example, in the United States the drug is listed as a Schedule II substance under the Controlled Substances Act, and it is regulated and monitored by the Drug Enforcement Administration. In addition, trafficking of oxycodone is punishable by law in many states and countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

In the 1990s abuse of oxycodone in the United States increased dramatically, particularly in rural, economically depressed areas. Controlled-release tablets, which contain high amounts of oxycodone but dissolve slowly as they pass through the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in gradual and sustained drug release, became the most widely abused form of the drug. The tablets were designed with the intention of lowering the risk of severe side effects and reducing the frequency of administration for patients prescribed oral oxycodone. However, when crushed, the tablets yielded potent quantities of drug that could be snorted, injected, or swallowed to produce a powerful high. In some areas, oxycodone abuse superseded heroin abuse.