Opinion statement
Prescription opioid misuse has been a significant epidemic during the past decade. Formulations of prescription opioids with different mechanisms of abuse-deterrence have been developed or are currently under development. Given that these medications are substantially more difficult to use in an illicit fashion and minimize the potential for euphoria and/or create an aversive experience when over-ingested, they represent an important next step in pharmacological innovation. Immediate decreases in nonmedical use and in associated overdose mortality and adverse events have been observed after a highly abused opioid, OxyContin, was changed into an abuse-deterrent formulation. However, this reduction in OxyContin use may have simply shifted the drug of choice towards…