I have heard of discussion among compounding pharmacists that simply using ginger in the compounding of oxy makes it abuse-proof? Is such a thing being considered?

A couple of decades ago when "T's and Blues" were a narcotic abuse problem, Talwin was recompounded with naloxone (a narcotic antagonist which is effective when injected and not when taken orally). It seems like this approach would work with any opioid pill intended for oral use only. The narcotic would be effective orally, and the narcotic antagonist would block the effect if the pill was dissolved and and used via injection.

This needs to be 100% abuse proof or drug abusers will find a way around the formulation.

I'm an addict in recovery and years ago in the 70's and 80's we used to inject a prescription amphetamine called Preludin. When the abuse potential of this drug was realized, they did the same thing i.e. a plastic coating over the pills. All we had to do was soak them in water awhile and then the "protective" coating could be peeled right off the actual pill.

I think the quetion to be asked is why there are so many scripts written for various pain meds. In my opinion they are given to freely by our medical profession. They are available in most personal drug cabinets. Why?

What about the large number of opiate addicts who consume opiates orally? How would this change affect their use? Seemingly not at all.

There is only one redeeming quality to the plastic coating, or adding naloxone to the drug. It presents a hassle to the addict in getting the stuff in the body. If the hassle is great enough, it will deter some but not all. Opiate addicts, especially when experiencing withdrawal, like to take the quickest path to getting that drug in the body in order to calm the demons raging inside. I have personally used water from the street, (as in puddle of), to shoot heroin because I simply couldn't wait until I got to a clean source of water. I had to get that blow in me NOW. So, plastic coating, naloxone, or other measures designed to deter opiate addicts will work to some degree, but not all addicts will be deterred. If anything, because many addicts are quite industrious, they will find a way to defeat this situation. And, they can always use OxyContin as a standby in case another opiate is not available. They can always be eaten. It just takes a little longer to work. And if I was bogue enough, and couldn't get my drug of choice, I would eat an OxyCOntin in a heartbeat. So would other opioid addicts. Personally, if I was still shooting opiates, I wouldn't bother with it. Heroin is cheaper than OxyContin's. But, I don't do drug any longer and have been clean since 2004. I write about substance abuse issues now. http://bit.ly/EgcbO