States Respond to Growing Abuse of Painkiller.

• Author: Wasserman, Stephanie

OxyContin has been touted as a "miracle" drug for its abilities to ease chronic pain. But a growing number of addicts are obtaining it illegally because of the immediate, intense "high" it gives them.

When reports first surfaced of overdoses in Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia, some officials believed the abuse of the powerful prescription painkiller OxyContin was limited to small areas of the Appalachian mountains. Now, law enforcement agencies, state legislatures and health departments--as well as the drug's manufacturer--are taking steps to prevent the abuse that has been spreading in urban and rural communities across the nation.

Several deaths have resulted specifically from the abuse of OxyContin in Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia and West Virgina, according to the U.S. Department of Justice's National Drug Intelligence Center. And because drug abuse knows no boundaries, officials as far away as Utah appear braced for the potential since one death in that state has already been attributed to the drug.

"We were hit with this before we realized what was happening. This is a very serious problem, especially in the last year," says West Virginia Delegate Mary Pearl Compton.

Called a "miracle" drug because of the relief it brings to those who suffer from chronic pain, this product made from oxycodone hydrochloride allows cancer patients and the terminally ill respite from continual and intractable pain unmatched by other drugs. Unlike Percocet or other oxycodone products that may require repeat dosages every four to six hours, OxyContin has time-release properties that allow patients up to 12 hours of relief.

OxyContin is illicitly obtained through theft, by forging prescriptions or even armed robbery. Users crush the pill into a powder and snort the chemical or dissolve it in a liquid and inject it. The effect is said to be immediate,

intense and almost as addictive as heroin. And pushing the drug is lucrative: One 80 mg tablet can fetch up to $80 on the street.

"Get ahead of the game," Compton advises legislators across the nation. "Be very proactive. Require prior authorization for all your state programs. Work with your doctors and law enforcement."

State officials are launching efforts to curb illegal use of the drug. Maine's Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, which oversees medical and pharmaceutical licensing boards, issued guidelines for pharmacists and physicians prescribing OxyContin. From recommending ample...