Los Angeles Times journalists argue using interviews from opioid addiction experts that such high doses of OxyContin spaced 12 hours apart create a combination of agony during opiate withdrawal (lower lows) and a schedule of reinforcement that relieves this agony, fostering addiction. Chemistry
Oxycodones chemical name is derived from codeine. The chemical structures are very similar, differing only in that

Oxycodone has a hydroxy group at carbon-14 (codeine has just a hydrogen in its place)
Oxycodone has a 7,8-dihydro feature. Codeine has a double bond between those two carbons; and
Oxycodone has a carbonyl group (as in ketones) in place of the hydroxyl group of codeine.It is also similar to hydrocodone, differing only in that it has a hydroxyl group at carbon-14. Biosynthesis
In terms of biosynthesis, oxycodone has been found naturally in nectar extracts from the orchid family Epipactis helleborine; together along with another opioid: 3-{2-{3-{3-benzyloxypropyl}-3-indol, 7,8-didehydro- 4,5-epoxy-3,6-d-morphinan.Thodey et al., 2014 introduces a microbial compound manufacturing system for compounds including oxycodone. The Thodey platform produces both natural and semisynthetic opioids including this one. This system uses Saccharomyces cerevisiae with transgenes from Papaver somniferum (the opium poppy) and Pseudomonas putida to turn a thebaine input into other opiates and opioids. Detection in biological fluids
Oxycodone and/or its major metabolites may be measured in blood or urine to monitor for clearance, non-medical use, confirm a diagnosis of poisoning, or assist in a medicolegal death investigation. Many commercial opiate screening tests cross-react appreciably with oxycodone and its metabolites, but chromatographic techniques can easily distinguish oxycodone from other opiates.
Oxycodone was allegedly chosen over other common opiates for this product because it had been shown to produce less sedation at equianalgesic doses compared to morphine, hydromorphone (Dilaudid), and hydrocodone (Dicodid).During Operation Himmler, Skophedal was also reportedly injected in massive overdose into the prisoners dressed in Polish Army uniforms in the staged incident on 1 September 1939 which opened the Second World War.The personal notes of Adolf Hitlers physician, Theodor Morell, indicate Hitler received repeated injections of "Eukodal" (oxycodone) and Scophedal, as well as Dolantin (pethidine) codeine, and morphine less frequently; oxycodone could not be obtained after late January 1945.In the early 1970s, the U.S. government classified oxycodone as a schedule II drug.Purdue Pharma, a privately held company based in Stamford, Connecticut, developed the prescription painkiller OxyContin. Upon its release in 1995, OxyContin was hailed as a medical breakthrough, a long-lasting narcotic that could help patients with moderate to severe pain. The drug became a blockbuster, and has reportedly generated some US$35 billion in revenue for Purdue. Opioid epidemic
Oxycodone, like other opioid analgesics, tends to induce feelings of euphoria, relaxation and reduced anxiety in those who are occasional users. These effects make it one of the most commonly abused pharmaceutical drugs in the United States. Diverted oxycodone may be taken orally or ingested through insufflation; used intravenously, or the heated vapors inhaled. United States
Oxycodone is the most widely recreationally used opioid in America. In the United States, more than 12 million people use opioid drugs recreationally.