Background: Although oxycodone is one of the most widely available and abused opioids, little published information exists on the abuse of immediate-release oxycodone.
Objective: To obtain information on abuse of oxycodone and the effectiveness of abuse-deterrent strategies, especially for immediate-release oxycodone, we surveyed oxycodone abuse patterns in a population of experienced opioid abusers.
Methods: Students or recent graduates of two substance abuse recovery high schools in Massachusetts were surveyed on abuse behaviors with short-acting single-entity oxycodone (e.g., Roxicodone), short-acting combination oxycodone (e.g., Percocet), and extended-release oxycodone.
Results: Twenty-four students completed surveys. Mean age was 17.7 years (range 16-19), and mean age at first abuse of oxycodone was 15 (range 13-18). Overall, 56% of students reported oxycodone as their favorite prescription opioid to abuse. The primary preferred method of abuse of all oxycodone formulations was intranasal administration: 83% of single-entity oxycodone abusers preferred intranasal administration compared with 67% of combination oxycodone abusers and 69% of extended-release oxycodone abusers. Approximately half of our respondents preferred to ingest oxycodone orally, 25-38% of respondents swallowed the pill intact, and another 13-17% chewed the pill before swallowing. Maximum dose ever abused at one time ranged from 15 to 400 mg. Most respondents had abused ≥60 mg of oxycodone at a time.
Conclusions: In this small study, adolescent oxycodone abusers use high quantities of oxycodone at a time, alter routes of administration for not only extended-release but also immediate-release products, and commonly abuse single-entity oxycodone products. Abuse-deterrent formulations may be one strategy for addressing such behaviors.