America is in the midst of a prescription drug abuse epidemic that requires a balanced approach to prevent misuse by addicts while preserving access to painkillers for patients suffering from pain. A reversal in policy recently announced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration fails this test by making some of the most commonly prescribed pain relief medications harder for patients to obtain with no assurance of a reduction in diversion and abuse of these medicines.
FDA is recommending the re-classification of Vicodin and other hydrocodone-containing products from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Schedule III list of controlled substances to the more restrictive Schedule II list. This change will likely pose significant hardships and will delay relief for many patients, especially those in nursing home and long-term care settings as well as rural areas. Moreover, alternative solutions are available to combat abuse without harming patients.
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