Oxycodone Shortage Information

Hello to all,

 

I have been researching the cause of the Oxycodone shortage, particularly in my state: Florida. As most of us are aware, Endo Pharmecuticals had a recall due to placing opiates in OTC containers. Needless to say, this has no doubt caused a great uproar in their company and perhaps their manufacturing procedures are being reformed.

 

I did manage to find out that Activa Pharmaceuticals experienced a large theft of a supply truck. Apparently 14 pallets worth of Oxycodone were stolen. This occurred in October of 2011. As they are the manufacturers of the A 215's that are normally found in the pharmacies here, I believe this may have something to do with the recent shortages.

 

I do understand that problems arise, and while everyone is assuming the DEA is holding up the production and supply of Oxycodone, and even the pharmacists do not understand the real reason for the shortages, perhaps this, combined with the Endo mishap, have much to do with the problem.

 

I am continuing to research, and will certainly keep everyone apprised of what I am able to unearth. I am assuming I am not alone in wanting a rational explanation as to why my medication has become so difficult to obtain.  Additionally, I will continue to advocate for the reform of the new Draconian drug laws.

 

The link to the article regrading the theft of Oxycodone is below.

 

http://www.fiercepharma.com/story/actavis-loses-oxycodone-epilepsy-meds-cargo-theft/2011-10-21

If it is green, round and imprinted with 187 then it is a 15mg Oxycodone manufactured by Caraco Pharmaceutical Labs in Detroit, Michigan.

When pharmacies have difficulty getting orders from their regular suppliers, they will often order than from a different manufacturer.

Wow, Target carries Oxycodone? I will try them tomorrow as I begin Day 8 of my quest to get my prescription filled here in Florida. The Ultram the ER prescribed is not doing a good job of keeping the withdrawl symptoms at bay. I am already having fever and chills, but thankfully no stomach distress, as of yet.

I did find a pharmacy that could fill my prescription, but they wanted almost $700 for 168 of the 30mg Oxycodone, which I got filled last month at Walgreens for $193!

Hello Bunny!

Welcome to the CP forum! I'm at a loss about these pharmacies not carrying the Oxycodone products. I live here in the center of the midwest, and so far have not had a problem acquiring Oxycontin's 20mg x3 and or Percocet's. Also…I don't understand them scripting another med not as effective as Oxycodone, as there are other med's more effective than Oxycodone by a long shot. Fentanyl would be one of them. There is morphine as well (MsContin)…and if scripted correctly can be very effective as well. What med did they script to replace his Oxycodone and the dose? What is his current dose? Methadone is another very effective med, but should be used as a last resort in my opinion.

I'm sorry you are running into this problem where you live….and I believe it is part of the DEA crackdown on the Oxycodone products. It's a shame they are taking this sort of action, as so many of us CP patients need this to have some sort of quality of life. There is a better way to deal with those that are not honest and scripting these med's illegally and or on the sly. In the meantime we all suffer for it.

Hopefully they can script a med that will do his pain justice. I did talk to my PCD about pharmacies refusing to fill orders….and he said they can do that…at least here in KS. However, we have not had this problem yet. Currently, I'm trying very hard to get off the Oxycodone products and have had some success. What may I ask is your husbands health issue? If it is nerve related….maybe he can try some of the med's made for it…like Cymbalta, Lyrica…Gabapentin and so forth. I myself, am trying the Gabapentin….but do not have any good news on it at this time….my Dr just upped my dose to a strength that is supposed to be effective for nerve related back pain. It will take another 30 days or so before I will know if it is working. He started me on a low dose to start with, to see if there were any side effects that may show up early on, but now that I seem to be able to tolerate it…we are moving forward to the higher dose 600mg x4.

Take care, and I wish your husband the best!

SE

Hello to all,

The oxycodone shortage here in Florida is still in full force and effect. Other pain patients I know are talking of going to Gerogia to get their prescriptions for Oxycodone.

Last month my pain doc prescribed MS Contin and MS IR, but it did not significantly reduce my pain. The oxycodone is just more effective, it seems. This month he prescribed 60mg MS Contin twice a day and 4mg Dilaudid 4 x day. Again, no significant relief of my pain. I have tried the Lyrica. I am on 120mg of Cymbalta a day, along with 100 mg of Elavil at night. Gabapentin?  I have been on that for many, many years.

The pharmacies here are urging physicians to prescribe other pain relievers, most of which I have already been on. Fentanyl is usually effective, but in Florida the problem is keeping the patches on. My physician is asking me what is most effective, as I have been a pain patient longer than he has been a doctor.

The cost of seeing a pain doctor and filling my scripts out of pocket is killing me financially, but I simply cannot function without pain relief. I am going to try a spinal fusion on my lumbar spine.

The Dilaudid seems to not make me overly sleepy, which is what I liked about the Oxycodone, I could still be coherent and function somewhat normally.  I will probably have him increase my Dilaudid to 8mg, which according to conversion charts is the equivalent of a 30mg Oxycodone.  I am thinking of trying Oxymorphone, rather than the Dilaudid, which is Hydromorphone. I am also considering going back on the Methadone, even though it makes me very sleepy, it is effective, and it is dirt cheap. 120 pills used to cost me less than $20.

Maybe when many of the docs here place patients on other opiates I can get Oxycodone again. I am so angry with the DEA. Oxycodone is the most effective pain killer I have tried. I would love for all those that are making the oxycodone so scarce to have just one day of my constant and unrelenting pain.

Thanks for letting me share....

Good Morning Everyone!

The shortage of oxy continues.  Last month we (hubby and me) did a 112 mile round trip to fill my hubby's script.  This month, that location is out of oxycodone.  We will be driving to Flagstaff later this month to our cottage, and will try to get it filled there.  I do not think there will be a problem, but that is a 200 mile trip-- one way.  My husband has disabling arthritus and disintegrating disks which relates to nerve issues.  There aren't too my alternative medications that work well for him.  Cymbalta-- I don't even want to go there.  He lost his mind on cymbalta.  I even wrote to the manufacturer.  Have you noticed they no longer advertise cymbalta for depression, but rather for use for chronic pain?  Lyrica did nothing for him.  He took gabepentin years ago until that drug was  no longer effective.  He just got off the fentanyl patches(only $9/mo. out of pocket cost) because the dosage and the  effectiveness of the patches was not working.  My hubby was in the emergency room 3 times between Jan. 15 - Feb 15, 2012 because of withdrawl symptoms.  His physician switched him over to oxycodone 80 mg extended release ($233/mo. out of pocket cost) plus he takes the lower dose oxy twice daily.  He has not tried methadone.  What's your opinion on methadone?  All I know about it is that it was responsible for the death of Anna Nicole Smith's son.  Well, I must end here but just wanted you all to know, the oxycodone shortage in Southwest Arizona goes on.   

Hi Mayflower7 and welcome to the chronic pain forum. I see you have posted on a thread that does not have much traffic on it. We ask that our new CP members to write a brief intro post so that all of our members will see it and be able to give you a proper hello and welcome aboard. Otherwise, not many people will see your post here and get to welcome you to the CP forum.

We are a friendly group of people here and love to have new people jump on board. Take care...Susie

Hello Terry!

Welcome to the CCP forum! We do preach this all the time…and the information is right here on the Chronic Pain 101 at the top of our page.

However, as new members are added to the forum….we do miss getting this information across in a timely fashion. Thanks for the reminder!

SE