The August 2010 reformulation of OxyContin into an abuse-deterrent formulation led to a quadrupling of heroin death rates, replacing prevented opioid deaths one-for-one.
Observational
Does the introduction of an abuse-deterrent formulation of OxyContin increase heroin mortality rates in the US population?
The abuse-deterrent reformulation of OxyContin inadvertently fueled a massive increase in heroin mortality, completely offsetting any reduction in prescription opioid deaths.
Abstract We attribute the recent quadrupling of heroin death rates to the August 2010 reformulation of an oft-abused prescription opioid, OxyContin. The new abuse-deterrent formulation led many consumers to substitute an inexpensive alternative, heroin. Using structural break techniques and variation in substitution risk, we find that opioid consumption stops rising in August 2010, heroin deaths begin climbing the following month, and growth in heroin deaths was greater in areas with greater prereformulation access to heroin and opioids. The reformulation did not generate a reduction in combined heroin and opioid mortality: each prevented opioid death was replaced with a heroin death.
Evans et al. (Mon,) conducted a observational in Opioid and heroin overdose. OxyContin reformulation (abuse-deterrent formulation) vs. Pre-reformulation period was evaluated on Trend break in heroin death rate. The August 2010 reformulation of OxyContin into an abuse-deterrent formulation led to a quadrupling of heroin death rates, replacing prevented opioid deaths one-for-one.