The FDA is taking steps to crack down on pain drugs that are commonly linked to accidental overdose. The administration’s moves are coincidentally well-timed as speculation is still rampant over whether pop king Michael Jackson’s death was related to painkillers and other medications he was taking.
Yesterday the FDA announced that it would require pharmaceuticals (including generic versions of Darvon and Darvocet, developed by Eli Lilly) that contain propoxyphene, a potentially addictive pain treatment that has been linked to overdose and patient deaths, to carry stronger warning labels. The FDA also plans to conduct a study on cardiovascular risks associated with propoxyphene-containing medications. These actions fall short, however, of an advisory panel’s recommendation to completely withdraw the drugs from the market. The European Union decided recently to phase out the products in Europe, and activists pushing for a ban on propoxyphene in the US will likely be unsatisfied with the FDA’s weaker resolutions.
Another drug being evaluated by the FDA is acetaminophen, which is found in a number of over-the-counter pain and cold medications and has been linked to liver complications. Acetaminophen overdoses are reported to be the main cause of liver failure in the US. An advisory panel recommended last week that certain prescription products containing acetaminophen, including Vicodin (made by Abbott Labs) and Ultracet (Johnson & Johnson), be removed from the market. The panel’s recommendations also suggest the withdrawal of some over-the-counter pediatric products and new limitations on high-dose OTC products, such as Extra Strength Tylanol (another product of J&J). The FDA has yet to release its final verdict on these medications.
While prescription and OTC drug overdoses are often a result of consumer error or abuse, the FDA and manufacturers still have a responsibility to help the public avoid un-necessary risks. Providing valuable and clear information should be a priority, so that consumers understand why limitations are being put on the consumption of commonly used pharmaceuticals. While celebrity deaths have brought medication misuse into the spotlight recently, it is a problem that can be detrimental to everyone.
I think this is a much better way to handle it then just taking pain meds off the market. There are people that really need those meds and that use them the way they should. I believe that people with Michael Jackson’s money and power are more the problem then those of us not so powerful. None the less, I think the stronger warnings on the drugs are a good idea. Hopefully people will take notice and be more careful.