Question

A patient who takes Oxycontin for pain has called and said her medications accidentally fell in the toilet and she needs a refill sooner than expected. She frequently calls in to get her prescription early. What type of medication is Oxycontin. What would be the appropriate way to handle this? What should you do as a medical assistant?

Answer 1

Ans) OXYCONTIN is:
• A strong prescription pain medicine that contains an opioid (narcotic) that is used to manage pain severe enough to require
daily around-the-clock, long-term treatment with an opioid, when other pain treatments such as non-opioid pain medicines or
immediate-release opioid medicines do not treat your pain well enough or you cannot tolerate them.
• A long-acting (extended-release) opioid pain medicine that can put you at risk for overdose and death. Even if you take your
dose correctly as prescribed you are at risk for opioid addiction, abuse, and misuse that can lead to death.
• Not for use to treat pain that is not around-the-clock.
• Not for use in children less than 11 years of age and who are not already using opioid pain medicines regularly to manage pain
severe enough to require daily around-the-clock long-term treatment of pain with an opioid .

Before taking OXYCONTIN, tell your healthcare provider if you have a history of:
• head injury, seizures • liver, kidney, thyroid problems
• problems urinating • pancreas or gallbladder problems
• abuse of street or prescription drugs, alcohol addiction, or mental health problems.
Tell your healthcare provider if you are:
• pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Prolonged use of OXYCONTIN during pregnancy can cause withdrawal
symptoms in your newborn baby that could be life-threatening if not recognized and treated.
• breastfeeding. OXYCONTIN passes into breast milk and may harm your baby.
• taking prescription or over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements. Taking OXYCONTIN with certain other
medicines can cause serious side effects that could lead to death.
When taking OXYCONTIN:
• Do not change your dose. Take OXYCONTIN exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider.
• Take your prescribed dose every 12 hours at the same time every day. Do not take more than your prescribed dose in 12
hours. If you miss a dose, take your next dose at your usual time.
• Swallow OXYCONTIN whole. Do not cut, break, chew, crush, dissolve, snort, or inject OXYCONTIN because this may cause
you to overdose and die.
• OXYCONTIN should be taken 1 tablet at a time. Do not pre-soak, lick, or wet the tablet before placing in your mouth to avoid
choking on the tablet.
• Call your healthcare provider if the dose you are taking does not control your pain.
• Do not stop taking OXYCONTIN without talking to your healthcare provider.
• After you stop taking OXYCONTIN, flush any unused tablets down the toilet.

Educating regarding oxycotin, not to panic, will be the role as medical assistant.