From the article:
FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, MD, defended the agency’s approval of the powerful opioid Zohydro ER (hydrocodone bitartrate) extended-release capsules, explaining that its highest dose is no more potent than the highest strengths of the opioid OxyContin ER (oxycodone) extended-release and extended-release morphine, in an FDA blog posted April 29. –
At the end of February 2014, a coalition of more than 40 groups, representing physicians, addiction experts, and law enforcement officials, expressed concern in a letter to Dr. Hamburg that Zohydro would fuel more opioid addictions and overdoses. The FED UP! Coalition asked for the Zohydro approval to be revoked.
If you read the letter from FED UP.. you get the opinion that the majority of the 40 groups that make up FED UP.. are groups against drug abuse. The hysteria over Zohydro ER.. is just that.. we are not talking about a new drug.. but a reformulation of a drug that has been around for decades.
Dr Hamburg is correct in stating that Zohydro ER is LESS POTENT than the strongest dose of Oxycontin/Oxycodone. What she didn’t say… is that if you take a 100 mcg Fentanyl patch .. it contains the opiate equivalent of THIRTY + Zohydro ER 50… if abused ! AND Fentanyl patches can be chewed and some/most can be absorbed via sub-lingual or buccal route.. which could potentially potentiate both the effects the drug and the potential of being lethal.
It is estimated that 35 K people die of a drug overdose… seemingly it is always reported as “accidentally overdosed”.. as if no one ever used drugs to commit suicide.. IMO.. that number is grossly over stated. Let’s take that figure.. it would take around THREE THOUSAND YEARS for the deaths from drug over doses to equal the number of people suffering from chronic pain. As our population grows and ages.. that number is going to only increase.
I am sure that the members of those 40 groups have had some near/dear to them… succumb to abusing some substance(s).. I am sure that they are emotionally “suffering” from their losses and are myopic about making sure that it doesn’t happen to another family.. In doing so.. they are indirectly inflicting physical “suffering” to those in chronic pain pursuing their agenda.
Every live is precious, but so is every quality of life. Some people are in a self-destructive “death spiral”… Some Homo Sapiens have been abusing some substance(s) for untold millenniums.. No amount of prohibition, legislation, fines, imprisonment will eradicate it from our genes. Is there something missing in our collective intelligence that causes us not to understand this?
Filed under: General Problems
This article was beautifully written Steve! I couldn’t agree more!
I think this is great, its time the FDA stands up for the right to have these new medications available for the chronic suffering and not about the abuse potential.
If someone wants to abuse drugs their going to do it one way or another. Not approving new pain medications is simply not going to help keep abusers safe from themselves. Instead we must put a stop to illegal activities that go on like illegal diverting of these medications and shady prescribers. We must get better at patient education, avoid theft by locking up your personal medications that other people may rob you of.