OXYCONTIN SUICIDES REPORTED

Autopsy results show many of the Virginia deaths connected to abuse of the
powerful painkiller OxyContin and similar drugs may be suicides, a state
official told legislators gathering information on illegal diversion of the
drug.

"A surprising number [of the deaths] are classified as suicides," said
Bradley Cavedo, a deputy attorney general, during a legislative
subcommittee meeting yesterday.

Cavedo said medical examiner's reviews indicate about 15 of 55
oxycodone-related deaths studied in recent months may be suicides.

"We can't say how many are OxyContin unless a relative brings in a bottle,"
he said.

Oxycodone is the generic ingredient in OxyContin, a medication cancer and
chronic-pain patients rave about for its long-acting pain-control properties.

In the other deaths reviewed, the cases appear to be accidental overdoses
as the person ingesting the drug illicitly was unaware of the drug's
potency when taken other than as prescribed. To get a powerful rush from
the drug, abusers are crushing the pills, getting in a single hit a dose
that when legally prescribed is meant to be absorbed slowly over several
hours or more to dull pain.

The meetings on OxyContin abuse are being held by legislators in advance of
the next General Assembly session, where bills may be introduced to address
issues surrounding misuse of the drug.

In most of the deaths, autopsies picked up other controlled substances,
either alcohol or other illicit drugs, in the person's system, Cavedo said,
adding that the typical victim profile is not that of a hard-core user.

"The biggest group is middle-aged women, early middle-aged. That would
indicate it's not your typical drug user," Cavedo said.

Cavedo is on a statewide task force that has been meeting for several
months looking for ways to decrease OxyContin abuse, which has overwhelmed
law enforcement officials in some parts of the state.

In response to criticism, the company marketing the drug, Purdue Pharma,
has worked with the state, providing doctors with tamper-resistant
prescription pads. So far, Cavedo said, 450 doctors are using the pads.

Purdue Pharma, meantime, has snapped up one of the state's top OxyContin
diversion experts, Special Agent Landon Gibbs, who has been in law
enforcement for 29 years, the last six years with the Virginia State Police.

Gibbs, who was at yesterday's meeting, said he will be based in Virginia
but will work with the drug company's national efforts.

"Purdue is trying to work very closely with law enforcement across the
country," said Gibbs, who added that his work will also focus on medical
community-law enforcement interaction.

Col. W. Gerald Massengill, state police superintendent, said it's a loss
for the drug diversion unit, but added that as with all his agency's
programs there are several people trained to do the job.

Gibb's departure, he said, "means Virginia State Police training and
caliber of agent is attractive to private industry. . . . We have other
experts."

The subcommittee is also gathering information on Ritalin, a drug used to
treat children and adults with attention deficit disorders. While
legislators talked about hearing of anecdotal cases of Ritalin being
diverted and misused, state education officials said their department does
not collect data on Ritalin use among school children or police possible
diversion at school.

The Department of Education has a manual that instructs teachers on
administering legally prescribed medication to students.

"We had a situation recently when a bottle of medication was missing," said
Gwen Smith, school health specialist for the state Education Department.

The school called her department to ask for guidance.

"I said, 'Call the police,'" Smith said. "The [Drug Enforcement
Administration] said if it's missing from a pharmacy, it's different. Once
in goes into the hands of a parent, it's like property."

State police reports show three complaints about Ritalin diversion in 1998,
nine in 1999, seven in 2000 and eight so far this year, said Massengill.

Massengill said there are two typical ways Ritalin is obtained for
diversion. In some cases, a parent takes a child to multiple doctors to get
prescriptions, which the parent then abuses or sells. In other cases,
adults with attention deficit disorders get prescriptions for themselves
and then misuse the medication.

The subcommittee is planning a daylong meeting next month to hear from
additional experts.