Pharmacy Robberies by Oxycontin Addicts

When reading the newspapers I can't help but noticing the increased amount of pharmacy robberies that are solely motivated to obtain the prescription drug Oxycontin. Oxycontin is a slow-released tablet containing high quantities of pure Oxycodone, therefore providing for a very powerful, yet very addictive class of opiate pain medication. Due to the extremely addictive properties of this CII controlled substance this prescription drug is nowadays only prescribed for long term pain management in terminally ill patients. However, this was unfortunately not always the case...

When Oxycontin was first introduced in 1995, it was promoted by Purdue Pharma as a medication with relatively low risk for physical and/or psychological dependency (addiction). This has obviously proven to be a false statement, and increasing abuse patterns have been observed since that time. Due to the false statements regarding the addictive properties by the manufacturer, doctors initially did not realize the potential harm this medication could do. As a result it was easily prescribed during these days and used by patients with pain conditions of a much lesser degree, and who certainly did not qualify as terminally ill.

Many patients that would have currently never been able to receive a prescription for Oxycontin became addicted during this initial period, and I can’t help but wondering who are behind the increasing amount of pharmacy robberies? Could this be done by legit pain patients who became addicted many years ago as a result of badly informed doctors, and were they simply unable to stop their usage, therefore forced on the streets to buy at much higher prices? Are this people like you and me who simply got addicted and then went crazy when their doctors cut them off once they became aware of the addictive properties of this prescription drug? If so should there really be such strong legal actions against these persons and should rehab not be the first step before they go to jail?

I guess that there is no general rule but it would be very interesting if someone would publish data regarding these Oxycontin robberies such as the profiles of those who were declared guilty. I think it is important for everyone to better understand who these people are and what motivated them to commit their crimes. After all, we read so much about this happening, but we know so little about these people and their motives… As a chronic pain patient and ex-Oxycontin user I am very well aware of the severe withdrawal symptoms Oxycontin will cause when daily treatment is suddenly interrupted.

This is especially true when the drug has been used for longer periods of time, and when the patient was maintained at a high dosage. The withdrawal symptoms are obviously so severe that it drives some people desperate enough to make them lose their mind, which can in some cases result in them walking into a pharmacy in order to attempt to rob it from the Oxycontin supplies.
Would these Oxycontin robbers have done the same if their doctor kept prescribing their monthly supplies, or if they would have had enough money to maintain their addiction through illegal purchase from the streets? If you are currently using Oxycontin and you are not a terminally ill patient, than I highly recommend that you ask your doctor about tapering off, or about treatment with some kind of maintenance medication such as Buprenorphine (brand name Buprex).

Oxycontin addiction can easily grow out of control and you just may find yourself so addicted one day that you are unable to control your need for a fix and end up trying to rob a pharmacy as well. I here you thinking ‘that would never happen to me’, but how many people who actually robbed a pharmacy would have said the same thing only few years before they committed their crime? Better be safe than sorry!  

Written by Teresita Tejada
Published on March 12, 2010

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