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OxyContin (oxycodone) is a opioid pain reliever similar to morphine. An opioid is sometimes called a narcotic. OxyContin is used to treat moderate to severe pain that is expected to last for an extended period of time. OxyContin is used for around-the-clock treatment of pain. OxyContin may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. The FDA has been monitoring the abuse and misuse of OxyContin for years. In 2008, Oxycodone abuse resulted in over 100, 000 visits to US emergency rooms, growing more than any other class of narcotic pain reliever. The new tamper-proof OxyContin pill is still a controlled-release formulation but the newly designed polymer system makes it more difficult for opiate addicts to crush, melt, or inject the pill. When heated, the polymer pill becomes a viscous gel, but doesn't release the active ingredient, making it almost impossible to inject. The polymer still surrounds the active ingredient even when forcefully crushed.
