Health experts say that a new prescription painkiller might ultimately deliver far more pain than it relieves.

Drug companies are in a race to develop a pure form of hydrocodone, better known to consumers as Vicodin.

This new drug is considered ten times more potent that regular Vicodin, which is cut with over-the-counter painkiller acetaminophen.

Zogenix of San Diego is ahead of the rest of the pack and could market Zohydro as early as next year.

Although a time-released drug is not intended to deliver all its painkilling relief at once, critics say that addicts will get around it by crushing pills as they've done with other drugs in the opoid class, which are from the opium family.

Hydrocodone is the second most abused prescription painkiller next to Oxycontin although the purer hydrocodone could quickly supplant the current king of opoids. In Murfreesboro, WGNS sees arrest reports daily that confirm there is a problem with Hydrocodone and Oxycontin being sold on the streets.