Drugmakers, FDA move to curb painkiller abuse

[Jazzy]

WASHINGTON -Pharmaceutical executives are laying out plans to prevent the misuse of prescription painkillers, under pressure from regulators trying to prevent hundreds of fatal overdoses each year.



Johnson & Johnson , King Pharmaceuticals and other drugmakers want to use patient medication guides, letters to doctors and additional physician training to curb inappropriate use and prescribing of painkillers.

The Food and Drug Administration sent letters to 16 drugmakers in February ordering them to design so-called risk management plans for their drugs. The companies are now presenting their joint proposal to the agency.

The companies produce 24 opioid drugs — including morphine, oxycodone and methadone — which are often abused for their euphoric effect.

Story Link: Drugmakers, FDA move to curb painkiller abuse - AOL Money & Finance

[Ahso!]

What's funny about this is during the Bush administration, what the FDA focused on was preventing people from getting needed drugs from outside the U.S. in order to save people money, and now they're actually looking at abuse of pharmaceuticals. That''s a bit telling of the differences between Bush and Obama.