Oxycodone is a very powerful and potentially addictive opioid analgesic medication synthesized from thebaine.  Tolerance and physical dependence may occur after several months of treatment, with larger doses being required to achieve the same degree of analgesia.  Oxycodone is one of the most powerful medications for pain control that can be taken orally. Percocet tablets (oxycodone with acetaminophen) are routinely prescribed for post-operative pain control. Oxycodone is also used in treatment of moderate to severe chronic pain. When used at recommended doses for relatively short periods (several weeks), it provides effective pain control with manageable side effects. The chemical structure of oxycodone is the methylether of oxymorphone: 3-Methyl-oxymorphone. It could be also described as 14-Hydroxy-Codeinone. It is principly supplied as its hydrochloride salt: Oxycodone hydrochloride. 

It is effective orally and is marketed in combination with aspirin (Percodan, Endodan, Roxiprin) or acetaminophen (Percocet, Endocet, Roxicet) for the relief of pain. It is also sold in a sustained-release form by Purdue Pharma under the trade name OxyContin and an instant-release form OxyIR and OxyNorm. OxyContin is available in 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg tablets, and, due to its sustained-release mechanism, is effective for eight to twelve hours. (The 160 mg formulation was discontinued in May 2001). In the United States, oxycodone is a Schedule II controlled substance both as a single agent and in combination products containing acetaminophen or aspirin.