Painkiller abuse

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,  May, 2004  by Jule Klotter

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As drug companies produce new formulations of opioid painkillers, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are seeking ways to curtail the drugs' illegal use. Potent narcotic painkillers with a time-release mechanism, such as OxyContin, have been especially attractive to abusers, who have learned how to override the time-release action and get the drug's effect all at once. OxyContin's manufacturer, Purdue Pharma LP, is seeking FDA approval for another time-release opioid, called Palladone, that is even stronger than OxyContin. Among other painkilling drugs in development are an asthma-style inhaler containing morphine and fentanyl (a synthetic opioid) from Aradigm Corp and new painkiller patches from Johnson and Johnson, producer of the Duragesic fentanyl patch.

FDA is asking manufacturers to include abuse-management programs, which include physician education, as part of the drugs' approval process. Doctors will be asked to identify patients who have a higher risk of addiction. Labels on existing painkillers as well as new ones will include more detailed guidelines for prescribing them appropriately. For its part, the DEA plans to work with medical boards to develop required continuing-education courses for physicians on the use of opioids. The agencies are trying to find ways to lessen abuse and still make these powerful painkillers available for patients with severe pain.

Mathews, Anna Wilde & Fields, Gary. Federal Agencies Seek to Curb Abuse of Potent Painkillers. The Wall Street Journal 3 December 2003.

COPYRIGHT 2004 The Townsend Letter Group
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group