Oxycodone/paracetamol explained

Oxycodone/paracetamol, sold under the brand name Percocet among others,[1] is a fixed-dose combination of the opioid oxycodone with paracetamol (acetaminophen), used to treat moderate to severe pain.

In 2023, it was the 93rd most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 7million prescriptions.[2] [3]

History

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first approved oxycodone/paracetamol in 1976, under application ANDA 085106.[4]

Society and culture

Percocet is often called perc for short.[5] [6] Since the early 2010s, the medication has commonly been name-dropped in songs from multiple genres, such as Future's 2017 song "Mask Off".

Implicated in deaths

In June 2009, an FDA advisory panel recommended that Percocet, Vicodin, and every other combination of acetaminophen with narcotic analgesics[7] be limited in their sales because of their contributions to an alleged 400 acetaminophen-related deaths in the U.S. each year, that were attributed to acetaminophen overdose and associated liver damage.[8]

In December 2009, a study found a fivefold increase in oxycodone-related deaths in Ontario, Canada (mostly accidental) between 1991 and 2007; this led to a doubling of all opioid-related deaths in Ontario over the same period.[9] [10] [11]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Oxycodone / Acetaminophen: Uses, Dosage & More . Drugs.com . 5 March 2023 . 7 February 2025.
  2. Web site: Top 300 of 2023 . ClinCalc . 12 August 2025 . 12 August 2025 . https://web.archive.org/web/20250812130026/https://clincalc.com/DrugStats/Top300Drugs.aspx . live .
  3. Web site: Acetaminophen; Oxycodone Drug Usage Statistics, United States, 2013 - 2023 . ClinCalc . 18 August 2025 .
  4. Web site: Percocet: FDA-Approved Drugs . U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) . 17 October 2021.
  5. Web site: Levy . Lauren . These Are the Drugs Influencing Pop Culture Now . . 5 June 2025 . https://web.archive.org/web/20250204015710/https://www.vulture.com/2018/02/the-drugs-influencing-pop-culture-right-now.html . 2025-02-04 . en . 6 February 2018 . Also known as: Percs, blue dynamite. [...] Percocet has become a favorite reference in rap music [...] The rapper Future elevated Perc-worship to a new status in the chorus of his hit 'Mask Off' . live.
  6. Web site: Oxycodone . . 5 June 2025 . https://web.archive.org/web/20250418164125/https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/oxycodone . 2025-04-18 . en . Street Title: Hillbilly Heroin, Kicker, OC, Ox, Roxy, Perc, Oxy.
  7. Web site: FDA May Restrict Acetaminophen. WebMD.
  8. News: Ban Is Advised on 2 Top Pills for Pain Relief . . Gardiner . Harris . 30 June 2009 . 22 May 2010.
  9. Dhalla IA, Mamdani MM, Sivilotti ML, Kopp A, Qureshi O, Juurlink DN . Prescribing of opioid analgesics and related mortality before and after the introduction of long-acting oxycodone . CMAJ . 181 . 12 . 891–6 . December 2009 . 19969578 . 2789126 . 10.1503/cmaj.090784 .
  10. Fischer B, Rehm J . Deaths related to the use of prescription opioids . CMAJ . 181 . 12 . 881–2 . December 2009 . 19969577 . 2789122 . 10.1503/cmaj.091791 .
  11. Canadian Medical Association Journal . 7 December 2009 . Deaths from opioid use have doubled; five-fold increase in oxycodone deaths . 31 May 2012 .

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