How are painkillers made?

It was used widely as a painkiller during the American Civil War, and many soldiers became addicted. Codeine, a less powerful drug that is found in opium but can be synthesized (man-made), was first isolated in 1830 in France by Jean-Pierre Robiquet, to replace raw opium for medical purposes. read more

The most powerful prescription painkillers are called opioids, which are opium-like 1 compounds. They are manufactured to react on the nervous system in the same way as drugs derived from the opium poppy, like heroin. The most commonly abused opioid painkillers include oxycodone, hydrocodone, meperidine, hydromorphone and propoxyphene. read more

Scientists have figured out all the steps to make morphine and similar painkillers without using opium poppies - opening the door for home-brewed drugs and potential abuse. read more