> Instead, hundreds of thousands of patients were subjected to 4 hours of pain a day, and they sought relief with other drugs, including illegal ones. And the e

> Instead, hundreds of thousands of patients were subjected to 4 hours of pain a day, and they sought relief with other drugs, including illegal ones. And the epidemic began. No, I believe the purpose of this scheme was to let the drug wear off before the next dose, in order to reinforce the withdrawal/pain->relief cycle. Oxycodone users typically didn't seek out illegal drugs (heroin) until several years after starting prescription usage.