Prescription Drug Program and Rehab

It has been discovered that people who have a prescription drug addiction to OxyContin are at risk of switching to heroin addiction. This is true for individuals who develop a severe abuse problem after taking the medication for legitimate pain reasons, as well as those who start taking it illegally.

Because OxyContin and heroin are in the same class of drugs, called opioids, they have similar characteristics and effects on people who abuse them. However, long-term heroin addiction can be cheaper.

When obtained with a prescription from a doctor, OxyContin costs about $400 for 100 pills, or $4 for each 40 mg pill. However, when an individual develops a severe addiction, they usually need more than they can get from a pharmacy with a prescription. Insurance plans can make it cheaper, but they will eventually stop paying for an excessive amount of the drug. Some people use multiple doctors to get more prescriptions per month, but states are beginning to track individuals’ OxyContin prescriptions in an attempt to cut down on drug abuse of painkillers.

Addicts sometimes begin to obtain OxyContin through other illegal methods, like stealing it. However, it’s more common that they must begin to pay the street price. Depending on what area of the country it is, this can be anywhere from $2000 to $4000 for the same amount of OxyContin that costs $400 in a pharmacy.

When the drug addiction gets to this point and the individual cannot afford street prices for OxyContin, they may be drawn to heroin. Heroin is usually cheaper to obtain, and people who would never have begun a heroin addiction habit otherwise may do so in order to replace OxyContin. The two drugs create a similar high in users, so the addict will no longer crave OxyContin when they switch to heroin.

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