Difference Between Oxycodone and OxyContin

Some people may wonder if there is any difference between OxyContin and oxycodone. Oxycodone is the active ingredient in several prescription pain medications, including OxyContin. In fact, oxycodone (extended release) may be considered a generic name for OxyContin. OxyContin, or oxycodone extended release, is designed to release the medication slowly over a 12-hour period and is typically only taken twice a day.

Oxycodone HCL Medication Information

What Is the Difference Between Oxycodone and OxyContin?

Many people wonder if there is any difference between OxyContin^® andoxycodone hydrochloride. Are these just different names for the same medication? Is oxycodone a generic version of OxyContin? Or, are they completely different medications? This article will address these questions about the differences between the two drugs.

OxyContin Versus Oxycodone

Oxycodone hydrochloride is an opioid pain reliever. It is an active ingredient in many different prescription medications, including OxyContin. It is available by itself (such as in OxyContin or short-acting OxyIR^®) or in combination with other active ingredients (such as in Percocet^®).

While most oxycodone products are taken every four to six hours as needed for pain, there are also long-acting oxycodone medications designed to be taken only twice a day. These medications include OxyContin and generic versions of OxyContin. These extended-release medications are designed to release the medication slowly over a 12-hour period.

In some ways, "oxycodone" can be considered a generic name for OxyContin, as oxycodone is the active ingredient of OxyContin. However, oxycodone is also the active ingredient in many other medications, so it is probably better to use a term such as "oxycodone extended release" to describe the generic versions of OxyContin.

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