The Hazard of Oxycontin

Much is known about the devastating effects of Opioid addiction, but little about its genesis. The most widely cited example (Oxycontin) was developed and designed to be used as an alternative to morphine in order to relieve severe cancer pain. Like all new drugs which require a prescription to be issued, Oxycontin’s rate diffusion was initially determined by innovative physicians. This research examines the characteristics of physicians who prescribed Oxycontin within the first year of its commercialisation and finds that those who demonstrated specific interest in the therapy area were likely to be early adopters of the new drug. Other variables had no significant impact on their adoption of Oxycontin. This result is different to other drugs and highlights the potential role and responsibility of innovative physicians in educating network members in macro-level diffusion processes.