The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced that it would
be issuing stronger warnings to the labels of prescription painkillers
in an effort to combat a burgeoning opiate-addicted population.
People will begin to see new safety warnings on their prescription opioid
medications as part of the FDA’s increased efforts to combat drug
abuse and misuse. The change affects the entire class of opioid pain medications,
and is “IR” (immediate release).
Despite its recent announcement, the FDA continues to fail Americans –
it recently approved Zohydro, yet another painkiller that is easy to crush
and snort. The FDA also fails to put Black Box warning labels on all opiates
and benzodiazepams, specifically warning of the lethality of combining
pain pills with anti-anxiety drugs.
Out of all overdose deaths:
- 70% are tied to opiates
- 30% are tied to benzos
In addition, there should be Black Box warnings for prescriptions to minors.
It seems as though prescriptions to pregnant women are now being recognized
as a serious public health hazard.
The FDA says it has been “reassessing its approach to opioid medications”
in order to prevent misuse, abuse, addiction, overdose, and death while
still providing patients with the pain relief they need, but there is
still much work to be done. According to the CDC, 46 people die every
day from a prescription painkiller overdose in the United States.
The CDC also states that, between 2002 and 2013, heroin-related overdose
deaths nearly quadrupled, adding that the “strongest risk factor
for heroin addiction is addiction to prescription opioid painkillers.”
In Ohio, the number of prescription painkillers per 100 people falls in
the range of 96-143 (National Prescription Audit). This means that there can be more painkiller prescriptions than people at times.
If you believe/know your son or daughter is involved with drugs, or are
yourself addicted to prescription painkillers or drugs like heroin, we
encourage you to contact Koffel Brininger Nesbitt to speak with us about our
Preventative Law practice. Our goal is to help individuals who may be struggling with drug abuse
by providing
drug court principles and applying them in the homes of addicts and their families.
Call or text 614-884-1100 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
