The Percocet Prescription Process

Percocet is the brand name of a narcotic pain relief medication that is legally available only when prescribed for short-term use by a physician to treat severe pain. Percocet combines the opiate drug, oxycodone, with the over-the-counter painkiller, acetaminophen, to deliver its pain-killing benefits. Like Vicodin, which is a combination of hydrocodone and acetaminophen, Percocet can be addictive and it is subject to abuse and overuse by individuals who take recreationally it to achieve a euphoric high.The only way for an individual to obtain Percocet is through a prescription that a physician will issue after a face-to-face appointment and consultation in which he evaluates the individual’s pain and determines that he or she will benefit from short-term Percocet use. Percocet is a Schedule II controlled substance, which means that a physician will prescribe at most a 30-day supply of the drug, and that the patient will need to schedule a follow-up appointment with the physician to obtain a prescription refill. Percocet prescriptions for adults will typically start with a low dose tablet that contains 2.5 mg of oxycodone and 325 mg of acetaminophen. The physician will typically instruct a patient to take one of these tablets every six hours until his or her pain has abated.

Percocet Prescription Addiction

Percocet dependency can occur after a few weeks of regular Percocet use. Physicians will usually instruct a patient who has been using Percocet for more than a few weeks to gradually reduce his or her Percocet usage rather than abruptly ending that usage. Withdrawal symptoms and cravings for the drug can drive a Percocet user to seek illicit supplies of the drug or more dangerous opiate substitutes. Because of the increasing prevalence of prescription drug uses and overdoses, physicians are becoming more careful about how their patients are using Percocet, and those physicians are adjusting their prescription protocols accordingly.Individuals who have filled a prescription for Percocet can find themselves with excess quantities of the drug. Many Percocet users end their use after a few days if, for example, post-surgical or injury pain subsides and they no longer sense a need for a painkilling drug. These users are directly or inadvertently adding to the prescription drug abuse problem when they share their extra quantities of Percocet with other individuals who either have no prescription for the drug or whose own prescriptions have run out. Sharing any prescription medications is illegal and dangerous. If you have an excess quantity of Percocet or any other pharmaceutical product that is available only with a prescription, you should dispose of that excess at an approved disposal site or facility. Even leaving the extra quantities of these drugs unused in your own medicine cabinet can increase the risks of prescription drug abuse. Many incidents have been recorded in which children or visitors to a house have searched through prescription medications for drugs. When you no longer need Percocet that has been prescribed to you, you should get rid of the surplus.

Please contact the counselors and therapists at the Last Resort Recovery Center (near Austin, Texas) at 512-360-3600 if you have any questions about the Percocet prescription process or you would like additional information about this drug. Percocet is a valuable and useful pharmaceutical product when used under proper medical supervision. We can provide a confidential consultation of you fear that your use of Percocet is exceeding your physician’s recommendations.