US Worried About Generic Oxycontin Pills Crossing Canadian Border - East Idaho News
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US Worried About Generic Oxycontin Pills Crossing Canadian Border

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Getty 052312 Pills?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1354723521072iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — The U.S. Drug Czar is warning police and border patrol agents in the north to be on the lookout for a possible flood of the generic version of a popular painkiller.

Cheap, generic versions of the painkiller Oxycontin could hit shelves in Canada as soon as next month.  The concern is that these generic pills, which have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States — can be easily crushed and snorted by people who abuse pain killers.  That was a big problem with the first Oxycontin pills, which are now crush resistant.  

Health officials worry the generic version could undo those efforts to stop abusers from overdosing.

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