HealthDay News — In an effort to halt the ongoing opioid addiction crisis, US regulators are requiring manufacturers to provide extensive training to doctors, according to a report published by the Associated Press.
Scott Gottleib, MD, commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, noted in a recent blog post that the FDA had informed 74 manufacturers of immediate-release opioids, including hydrocodone/acetaminophen and oxycodone/acetaminophen, that their drugs would be subject to these requirements. However, physicians will not be required to undergo training.
Overall, about 2 million individuals are addicted to prescription opioids in the United States. In 2015, more than 15,000 died of overdoses involving prescription opioids. Manufacturers of long-acting opioids, including oxycodone, have been subject to these requirements since 2012.
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Gottleib called the drugs a “potential gateway to addiction” in the blog post.
Reference
Johnson CK. FDA requires opioids makers to develop doctor training [news release]. Associated Press. Updated September 28, 2017. Accessed October 3, 2017.
