(CBS/AP) As pharmaceutical companies are approaching the final stages of development for a new type of painkiller said to be 10 times stronger than Vicodin, addiction experts worry a new wave of. Vicodin is a type of narcotic primarily used for relieving moderate to moderately severe pain. This prescription medication is a combination of two medications: hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen. A commitment to excellence in education and the advancement of scholarship in the discipline of political science. Hydrocodone and oxycodone are opioids, drugs that are mostly used to treat extreme pain. Hydrocodone and oxycodone overdose occurs when someone intentionally or accidentally takes too much medicine containing these ingredients.