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by DanBC 3637 days ago
> Why didn't they mention the % of overdoses directly related to Oxy ?

When someone dies of an opioid overdose how do you know which opioid they overdosed on? How do you know they were using oxycontin or oxycodone?

2 comments

Oxycontin was simply a massive dose of oxycodone, enough to kill an opiate-naive individual, wrapped in what might has well have been a candy shell.

Technically a time-release mechanism, it was easily defeated by anyone with a razor blade or a wet paper towel.

They aren't different drugs, and I'm sure Purdue has a finger in the oxycodone pie other than simply brand-name Oxycontin.

A little bit of old-fashioned police work would easily reveal what prescriptions a person was prescribed, a search of their personal property would reveal paraphenilia related to their drug use. Empty oxycontin bottles would indicated an oxycontin overdose. An empty syringe would indicate heroin abuse. Spent patches would indicate fentanyl abuse. etc

It's worse than that. When a serious drug user ODs and the tox screen comes back with opioids, cocaine, and barbituates, how could you possibly assign a particular drug to the death?