OxyContin had first hit the stores in 1996. Because the drug could continuously treat severe pain, patients were now able to sleep through the night with a low risk of addiction, the company said. Both claims were soon revealed to be overstated or false. Some patients found that the drug, a powerful opioid, stopped working sooner than advertised, prompting them to take more of it. Purdue also started offering OxyContin in higher doses, increasing the risk of addiction.
