CAHSS Faculty Articles
Factors Influencing the Selection of Hydrocodone and Oxycodone as Primary Opioids in Substance Abusers Seeking Treatment in the United States
ORCID ID
0000-0002-4716-3398, 0000-0003-4027-7840
ResearcherID
K-3072-2014, H-3010-2014
Publication Title
Pain
ISSN
0304-3959
Publication Date
12-1-2013
Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to identify the factors that influence the selection of hydrocodone and oxycodone as primary drugs of abuse in opioid-dependent subjects (n = 3520) entering one of 160 drug treatment programs around the country. Anonymous, self-administered surveys and direct qualitative interviews were used to examine the influence of demographic characteristics, drug use patterns, and decision-related factors on primary opioid selection. Our results showed that oxycodone and hydrocodone were the drugs of choice in 75% of all patients. Oxycodone was the choice of significantly more users (44.7%) than hydrocodone (29.4%) because the quality of the high was viewed to be much better by 54% of the sample, compared to just 20% in hydrocodone users, who cited acetaminophen as a deterrent to dose escalation to get high and hence, its low euphoric rating. Hydrocodone users were generally risk-averse women, elderly people, noninjectors, and those who prefer safer modes of acquisition than dealers (ie, doctors, friends, or family members). In contrast, oxycodone was a much more attractive euphorigenic agent to risk-tolerant young, male users who prefer to inject or snort their drugs to get high and are willing to use more aggressive forms of diversion. Prevention and treatment approaches, and pain physicians, should benefit from these results because it is clear that not all drug abusers share the same characteristics, and the decision to use one drug over another is a complex one, which is largely attributable to individual differences (eg, personality, gender, age, and other factors).
DOI
10.1016/j.pain.2013.07.025
Volume
154
Issue
12
First Page
2639
Last Page
2648
NSUWorks Citation
Cicero, T. J., Ellis, M., Surratt, H. L., & Kurtz, S. P. (2013). Factors Influencing the Selection of Hydrocodone and Oxycodone as Primary Opioids in Substance Abusers Seeking Treatment in the United States. Pain, 154 (12), 2639-2648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2013.07.025
