OxyContin is a narcotic drug, an opiate, that has been approved by the FDA
to legally treat chronic pain. Chronic pain is documented medical condition,
a progressive disease of the nervous system and spine that causes constant a
patient to experience constant, excruciating pain. Chronic pain is caused by
the failure of the body’s internal pain control systems and is accompanied
by changes of the chemical and anatomical makeup of the spinal cord. Left
untreated, the condition will spread to unaffected areas. A patient
suffering from chronic pain does not produce enough natural opiates, so a
pharmaceutical opiate like OxyContin is an effective treatment for the
disease.
Unfortunately, drug addicts have abused the medical system
and obtained prescriptions of OxyContin in order to feed narcotic habits
rather than treat medical conditions. Like any narcotic, OxyContin can be
highly addictive and overdosing can be fatal. Illicit prescriptions of
OxyContin are both sold and abused on the black market. This situation
creates a problem for governmental drug regulating agencies that are trying
to take a hard line on drug abuse.
Recently, the government has been
cracking down harder on drugs and drug abuse, and this does not mean simply
going after the users and abusers of pharmaceutical drugs. The government
has been targeting the doctors who prescribe these drugs to patients who
then abuse them. The problem here is that it is difficult for doctors to
know how their prescriptions are actually applied, and a doctor cannot
immediately revoke the prescription of a suspected abuser because withdrawal
symptoms cause are equivalent to the pain of torture, and can be fatal. Thus
doctors who prescribe OxyContin to patients with chronic pain, and remember
the condition will progressively and permanently worsen without this
treatment, have been convicted of drug trafficking, had medical licenses
revoked, and been sent to prison.
Who the real victim is depends
entirely on the circumstances of the individual case. Certainly innocent
doctors have been punished for prescribing appropriate drugs to pained
patients, but in other instances OxyContin has been prescribed
irresponsibly, causing addiction, overdose, death, and contributing to the
black market exchange of drugs. If you are on either side of this line and
are concerned about the use or prescription of OxyContin, please consult a
lawyer immediately and protect your interests.
