FDA to Consider Tighter Rules for Prescription Painkillers - East Idaho News

FDA to Consider Tighter Rules for Prescription Painkillers

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Getty 052312 Pills?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1359032910630iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — The Food and Drug Administration is considering tighter controls on prescription painkillers like Vicodin — a response to a spike in addiction rates and overdose deaths.

High profile battles with Vicodin have been well documented; even Eminem once rapped about his addiction.  Now, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration wants tighter controls on Vicodin and other narcotic painkillers containing the drug hydrocodone.  

The DEA argues patients shouldn’t be able to get as many prescriptions at once, and pharmacies should have to keep the drugs locked in secure cabinets — the same way they treat narcotics like OxyContin and Percocet.  

The FDA will consider the request during two days of hearings, beginning Thursday.

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