Timed-release oxycodone

In the April issue of Canadian Family Physician, Dr Uddin¹ stated that Purdue Pharma had described OxyNEO (a timed-release oral oxycodone) as “tamper proof”; however, at no time did Purdue Pharma make the claim that OxyNEO was tamper proof. Describing the product as tamper resistant is not within Health Canada–approved labeling rules. What we at Purdue Pharma have said about OxyNEO is that the tablets have been hardened to reduce the risk of their being easily broken, crushed, or chewed in order to release the medication more quickly. When the tablet is dissolved it forms a gel, making it more difficult to inject. Purdue Pharma is well aware of the Internet recipes for defeating the controlled-release properties of OxyNEO. Most of these methods, if reliable, involve a lot of time and effort. There are epidemiological studies under way to determine whether OxyNEO is resulting in a decrease of misuse and abuse. Results from these studies are being reported to Health Canada.

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