Killer Generics! What’s Next?
Jan
01
Someone dies every 19 minutes from prescription drug abuse.
For years the mantra in pharmaceuticals has been “more generics equals reduced cost.” However, as ESPN analyst Lee Corso says, “Not so fast my friend”. It seems that when it comes to OxyContin, generics may not be the best option.
A Courier-Journal article by Laura Ungar recently highlighted some of the potential abuse from generic OxyContin. Historically, the fastest, most intense and debilitating highs from OxyContin abuse comes from crushing then snorting or injecting the granules. Use of the active Oxycodone ingredient exploded in KY by over 1100% over the last decade.
At the behest, of the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) the OxyContin formulary was changed and the brand named medication now is crush resistant and not as easily abused. Unfortunately, Purdue Pharma’s original OxyContin patent expires this spring and lawmakers, physicians and others are warning that the flood gates will soon open with cheap, easily crushable generic versions of OxyContin hitting the streets.
The FDA and many lawmakers are looking at ways to regulate these generics to ensure that drugs with the potential for serious abuse are tamper resistant.
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