Many pharmaceutical active ingredients, in addition to having excellent activity in their appropriate application, also have potential for abuse, i.e. they can be used by an abuser to bring about effects other than those intended. Opiates, for example, which are highly active in combating severe to very severe pain, are frequently used by abusers to induce a state of narcosis or euphoria. The abuse-deterrent composition prevents the immediate release of a substantial portion of drug, even if the physical integrity of the formulation is compromised (for example, by chopping with a blade or crushing) and the resulting material is placed in water, snorted, or swallowed. However, when administered as directed, the drug is slowly released from the composition as the composition is broken down or dissolved gradually within the GI tract. “Abuse-deterrent composition” or “abuse-deterrent formulations” are used interchangeably herein to refer to compositions that reduce the potential for improper administration of drugs but that deliver a therapeutically effective dose when administered as directed. Improper administration includes tampering with the dosage form and/or administering the drug by any route other than instructed. The object of this review is to provide an overview of the various types of premarketing tampered and abuse drug studies.