Roxicodone, commonly misspelled Roxycodone, is a brand of oxycodone, a strong, prescription painkiller that has earned a reputation for widespread abuse.
Without the Narcan, the medics told Sammons, his neighbor would be dead. The roxicodone the man had illegally taken to try to beat back depression was actually a far more potent dose of compressed fentanyl.
Where does Roxicodone come from?
Oxycodone was invented in 1916 with the intent of creating a non-addictive substitute for heroin, which had been banned in the US. It was released into the US market in 1939.
Though it was initially touted as a safer, semisynthetic painkiller, it soon became clear that patients were just as susceptible to addiction with oxycodone as they had been with heroin. As a result, oxycodone was classified in 1970 a Schedule II narcotic, meaning it is dangerously habit-forming and presents risk of abuse.
The brand name Roxicodone was trademarked in 2002 by Elan Pharma International Ltd. Since then, it has become one of the most widespread drugs contributing to the US opioid crisis starting in the late 1990s.
Outside of medical and scientific contexts, Roxicodone is most often used in reference to the opioid crisis, calling to mind pill mills and prescription drug abuse.
Roxicodone is often abbreviated to roxy in informal speech, especially in hip-hop lyrics and on social media. When referring to the drug just as roxy, speakers are most likely using it as a generic term for any opioid taken recreationally.