Oxycodone is a narcotic medication used to relieve moderate to severe pain. OxyContin is a brand of timed-release oxycodone, made by Purdue Pharma, that works for up to 12 hours. The drug is in a class of medications called opioid analgesics; they work by changing the way your brain and nervous system respond to pain. Oxycodone was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1976.