Prescription OxyContin abuse among patients entering addiction treatment.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

OxyContin and other pharmaceutical opioids have been given special attention in the media, who frequently describe problematic users of the drug as previously drug-naive individuals who become addicted following legitimate prescriptions for medical reasons. The purpose of this study was to characterize the nature and origins of pharmaceutical opioid addiction among patients presenting at substance abuse treatment programs.

Method

The authors evaluated the prevalence and correlates of OxyContin use and abuse among a population of 27,816 subjects admitted to 157 addiction treatment programs in the United States from 2001-2004. The data collected included the lifetime and past 30-day use of OxyContin and other drugs prior to admission to addiction treatment, source of

SUBMITTER: Carise D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2785002 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature