![]() ![]() The new restrictions will go into effect in 45 days, according to the federal listing.įor decades, hydrocodone has been easier to prescribe than other opioids, in part because it was only sold in combination pills and formulas with other non-addictive ingredients like aspirin and acetaminophen. “Had FDA responded in a timely and appropriate manner to DEA’s urgent request, thousands of overdose deaths and tens of thousands of cases of opioid addiction might have been prevented,” said Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing, an advocacy group which has been critical of the government’s response to opioid abuse. Anti-addiction groups praised the restrictions, but criticized the FDA for taking nearly a decade to embrace the changes. Deaths linked to the drugs more than tripled between 19, during which sales of opioids increased four-fold. For years, physician groups and the Food and Drug Administration opposed the move, saying it would burden health care providers and patients while driving up costs.īut last year the FDA changed its position, citing the national epidemic of overdoses and deaths tied to prescription painkillers known as opioids. The move, announced in a federal posting, comes more than a decade after the Drug Enforcement Administration first recommended reclassifying hydrocodone due to its risks for abuse and addiction. Additionally, in many states prescribing authority will be limited to physicians, not nurses or physician assistants. ![]() Patients will be limited to one 90-day supply of medication and will have to see a health care professional to get a refill. The new rules mean that drugs like Vicodin, Lortab and other generic versions will be subject to the same prescribing rules as painkillers like codeine and oxycodone. WASHINGTON (AP) - The federal government is finalizing new restrictions on hundreds of medicines containing hydrocodone, the highly addictive painkiller that has grown into the most widely prescribed drug in the U.S. ![]()
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