The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is looking into changing the rules for the manufacturing of opioids by making the drugs less addictive.
The new proposal states that the drug manufacturers would have to report if their products have “any characteristics that would mitigate the risks of overdose, abuse, or the development of addiction.”
The FDA also said: “Companies should also indicate whether their drugs have novel or greater risks compared to other opioids on the market and also note the public health implications of their products in terms of risks to non-patients, including members of the patient’s household, visiting relatives, friends, and others.”
According to the data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 47,000 people died from a drug overdose in 2017, with approximately 130 individuals overdosing every day. The Trump administration considers this to be a significant problem and has promised to crack down on illicit drug use.
Acting FDA Commissioner, Ned Sharpless, made a statement: “Addressing the crisis of opioid addiction is an issue of great concern for our nation and remains a top public health priority for the FDA. The agency continues to take new steps to confront this crisis while also paying careful attention to the needs of patients in accessing appropriate pain management.”
The FDA has admitted that opioids are challenging since the drugs help patients with pain management, but that they can also cause immense harm if misused or abused.
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