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Oxycontin® In 1995 the FDA approved the drug Oxycontin® (controlled-released oxycodone). It was to take on the leading role for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe pain, which were expecting to need opioid treatment for an extended period of time. Many pain specialists initially thought that Oxycontin® had a low potential for abuse because of the controlled release form it came in (1) however, the abuse of Oxycontin® has been on a rise since 1996. (2) So the question is, why does Oxycontin® stand out among painkilling drugs? To first understand Oxycontin® one must take a closer look at the drug itself. Oxycontin® is a strong, semisynthetis opioid agonist that offers effective relief for moderate to severe pain. (3) It is used to treat pain that comes from having cancer, sickle cell anemia, severe back injuries, or some other physical injury. (4) Oxycontin® is made up of the parent drug oxycodone and which has been a continuing problem in the United States since the 1960’s for abuse. In 1970, Congress placed oxycodone in Schedule II (CII) by passing the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Although the status of CII, oxycodone continued to be abused. After the release of oxycodone in the form of O