OXYCONTIN - A DRUG THAT BRINGS FEAR AND FRUSTRATION

AUGUSTA - OxyContin, the wonder drug for pain relief, is both a blessing
and a curse for Darrell and Sue Bowie.

Four 40-milligram tablets a day keep Darrell, who suffers from a rare form
of arthritis, working at an automobile dealership. But getting the
prescription filled each month is becoming a nightmare for Sue now that
pharmacies are limiting supplies of the drug after several
highly-publicized robberies.

And the couple, who live in central Maine, also worry about their own
safety. Earlier this year, someone tried to break into their home in
pursuit of Darrell's pills.

Employees in pharmacies are also on guard now that OxyContin has been
"discovered" by lawbreaking thrill seekers looking for a quick, heroin-like
high from the opioid narcotic.

The earliest reported cases of abuse in the nation occurred in Maine's
Washington County and in the Appalachian Mountain regions of Virginia, West
Virginia and Kentucky.

"If I was a pharmacist in a store, I'd have some concerns about it being
there," said John Grotton, chairman of the regulatory Maine Board of Pharmacy.

In less than a year, pharmacies in Augusta, Winslow, Raymond, Yarmouth,
Brunswick and Lewiston have been hit by OxyContin-seeking robbers. A vice
president and pharmacist at Goold Health Systems, in Augusta, Grotton said
the newest drug craze is a phenomenon.

"It's really a tough thing. It's new for the state. In over 20 years of
being a pharmacist, this is the first time I've seen people walking into
(Maine) pharmacies and robbing them," he added.

GETTING A PRESCRIPTION

The current situation makes getting prescriptions filled a frustrating
experience for Sue Bowie.

"When I went to Wal-Mart, they only had half the pills," she said. For
three years, Sue had been getting Darrell's pills at the CVS Pharmacy, on
Capitol Street, until the store was robbed in early February.

At that time 2,385 dosages of OxyContin, with a street value of $101,810,
were lifted from the pharmacy, according to Assistant District Attorney
Brian Mahany. Since then, the Bowies have visited all the local pharmacies
to get orders filled.

But the same thing usually happens at each store.

"We've been going to Rite-Aid and Shop 'n Save. Lately, they haven't had
enough to fill the prescription, so we've had to go to Wal-Mart and
Brooks," said Sue. On one trip to Wal-Mart, the store was only able to
supply 70 tablets.

Often, pharmacists must wait anywhere from several days to a week before
suppliers furnish additional pills. Even though the 40- milligram tablets
are the most common dosages, pharmacies are reluctant to stock large
quantities because of the threat of robberies.

The Bowies only pay $20 toward the cost of a 120-tablet prescription. But
with pharmacies routinely unable to fill that amount, the couple must
obtain another prescription from their physician - and pay another $20 - to
get the remainder of the month's supply of pills.

Caren Epstein, a spokesperson for Shop 'n Save pharmacies, said the chain
has specific policies in place for Schedule II drugs such as OxyContin.

"We do not accept telephone and Internet orders for OxyContin. We require
an original written script from the doctor, and in order for you to prove
you are the person who this is for, you must provide a photo ID," she
explained.

Shop 'n Save pharmacy carries only the lower end dosages of OxyContin. In
May, OxyContin's manufacturer, Connecticut-based Purdue Pharma, stopped
distributing the high-end 160-milligram pills.

"NOT SURPRISED"

When told that a local couple have encountered problems getting their
monthly prescription filled in this area, Epstein said she is "not surprised."

"It's because people (pharmacies) don't keep quantities in stock. We've had
discussions about this and the pharmacists feel like their being held
hostage by the people who abuse the drug. I know this creates a quandary
for the pharmacists who want to serve their customers," Epstein said.

Sue Bowie said OxyContin is giving her husband a new lease on life. The
pills temporarily dampen the excruciating pain that accompanies his severe
rheumatoid arthritis.

"It gets worse as he gets older. The vertebra are fused together and it
limits his mobility. He's been complaining about this since he was 18. A
chiropractor, who was an MD before he was a chiropractor, diagnosed it
about 10 years ago," said Sue.

Darrell, 43, tried other painkillers before OxyContin but they caused side
effects, including one that was harmful to his liver. Before the
high-profile robberies at the pharmacies, Sue said she never encountered
problems getting 120 pills every 30 days.

"Now, it's very stressful and frustrating," she added. When Darrell ran out
of medication before, he exhibited symptoms commonly associated with
withdrawal from drug and alcohol addiction.

OxyContin is the nation's best-selling narcotic painkiller. The slow-
release drug is prescribed for victims of moderate-to-severe chronic pain
associated with cancer, arthritis and back problems.

In court documents, some users in other states allege that they have become
addicted to the legal drug and they are seeking financial compensation from
the manufacturer. The attorney general in West Virginia is also suing the
pharmaceutical company, claiming that Purdue Pharma violated that state's
consumer protection laws.

As of early August, at least 13 lawsuits had been filed against the pill's
maker.

Abusers experience a heroin-like rush by removing the time-release coating
before crushing and then snorting or injecting the substance. On the
street, a 40-milligram tablet can fetch $40.

OXYCONTIN AT HOME

Because of that illegal trade, the Bowies say they are leery about keeping
OxyContin around the house.

Earlier this year, Sue said someone tried to break into their home - while
they were away - to steal Darrell's supply of pills. The Maine State Police
investigated the incident and the Bowies were told that Darrell's name and
address were taken from a pharmacy's database by an employee who passed the
information along to the would-be robber.

The culprit, who apparently was scared off by the couple's dogs, damaged an
exterior door and disconnected the outside telephone lines before leaving
the scene.

Over the past year, the potential for OxyContin abuse has also put
pharmacies and physicians on high alert.

"There has been a great deal of discussion about OxyContin," said Randal
Manning, executive director of the regulatory Maine Board of Licensure in
Medicine.

Pain management rules in place urge physicians to be careful in prescribing
the proper dosage for patients, and they also advise doctors on how to
prevent tampering with prescription forms - such as changing the potency of
the dosage or the quantity of pills required by the patient.

Even though the drug can be abused, Manning said physicians continue to
rely on OxyContin to ease their patients' chronic pain. Many men and women
in end-of-life hospice programs take OxyContin.

"I've heard doctors express concerns, but I haven't heard of any doc
saying, 'I should be prescribing it but I'm not,' " he added.

At True's Pharmacy, in Oakland, owner Robert Nutting said extra security
and surveillance measures have been put into effect. And the business
intends to stock sufficient quantities of the medication for customers, he
added.

"We're not going to stop stocking OxyContin because of the criminals. One
individual can't spoil it for 1,000 (legal) users," said Nutting, who also
is a Republican state legislator.

Grotton, chairman of the Maine Board of Pharmacy, recommends that patients
who need the drug regularly should establish a close relationship with
their pharmacists, and let them know in advance when they need an order
filled. Doing so should assure users that a sufficient supply of OxyContin
will be in the pharmacy when they arrive.