Oxycontin (oxycodone hydrochloride) is used to treat moderate to severe pain. Learn side effects, dosage, drug interactions, warnings, patient labeling, reviews, and more. OxyContin is still prescribed today, but a lot has changed since Purdue Pharma’s legal troubles. Here’s what the drug looks like now and who can get it. Serious, life-threatening, or fatal respiratory depression may occur with use of OXYCONTIN, especially during initiation or following a dosage increase. To reduce the risk of respiratory depression, proper dosing and titration of OXYCONTIN are essential. Oxycodone, sold under the brand names Roxicodone and OxyContin (which is the extended-release form) among others, is a semi-synthetic opioid used medically for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. OxyContin is the brand name for extended-release oxycodone, designed to release oxycodone slowly over 12 hours, requiring only twice-daily dosing. OxyContin works in two phases. The outer layer releases oxycodone rapidly, providing pain relief within approximately 20 minutes. Oxycontin is a long-acting opioid for the around-the-clock, long-term management of severe pain. It is used when alternative treatments have been inadequate. What is OxyContin? OxyContin is used to manage severe and persistent pain that requires an extended treatment period with a daily opioid pain medicine when other pain medicines do not treat your pain well enough, or you cannot tolerate them. OxyContin carries a Boxed Warning and contains oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance with an abuse potential similar to other Schedule II opioids. OxyContin is an extended-release (long-acting) form of oxycodone. It's an opioid that's used to treat long-term pain when non-opioid pain medications alone don't provide enough relief. OxyContin is the extended-release form of oxycodone. We’ll help you compare how these drugs treat pain, what their side effects are, and more.