When Purdue Pharma introduced its pain killer OxyContin to the market back in 1997 the drug was hailed as a savior for seriously ill patients. Unfortunately, what makes the drug so effective also makes it highly addictive, and easily abused. Purdue Pharma has taken steps recently to help prevent abuse, and today the FDA announced that the changes do offer some "limited" advantages over the original pill.The drug is definitely effective when used properly by severely ill patients dealing with intense pain. It was designed to give patients a steady does of the pain killer over a 12-hour period.

