JAMA Internal Medicine has declined to retract a 2000 paper claiming controlled-release oxycodone was safe for osteoarthritis pain, despite a petition from clinicians citing 2007 court records showing sponsor Purdue Frederick withheld withdrawal data. The journal says it found no evidence of fabrication or falsification, and one co-author who initially supported retraction later reversed his position. Critics argue the paper, cited 247 times and referenced in clinical guidelines, has contributed to opioid overprescribing.
Questions this post answers
Why did clinicians ask JAMA Internal Medicine to retract the 2000 oxycodone osteoarthritis study?
Clinicians requested retraction because 2007 court records from a federal criminal case against Purdue Frederick Company showed the company withheld data revealing eight study participants had possible opioid withdrawal symptoms before the paper's publication, contradicting its conclusion that withdrawal was rare. JAMA Internal Medicine reviewed the request multiple times and declined, stating it found no evidence of fabrication or falsification in the published article itself. daily.dev surfaces developer-relevant research integrity and publishing stories like this one.
How many times has the 2000 JAMA oxycodone osteoarthritis paper been cited?
The paper has been cited 247 times according to Clarivate Web of Science, and it appears in at least two clinical practice guidelines despite the retraction dispute over withheld withdrawal data from its sponsor, Purdue Frederick Company, which later pleaded guilty to fraudulently marketing OxyContin and paid over $600 million in penalties. Track how disputed research keeps influencing practice guidelines via daily.dev.