OxyContin already under fire for being overprescribed in adults
Sara G. Miller | Live ScienceDoctors are worried about the recent approval of OxyContin for use in children as young as age 11.
The drug, which is a powerful painkiller, has been linked to the rise in heroin addiction and drug overdose deaths. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its use in children in August.
Although OxyContin was prescribed to children and adolescents prior to its approval in a practice known as “off-label use,” it is likely to be prescribed much more widely now that it is officially approved, doctors say. [5 Surprising Facts About Pain]
Treating chronic pain, especially in children, can be incredibly challenging for doctors. There’s no single, effective approach that makes pain go away for everyone, and for some patients, none of the existing drugs seem to work completely. In addition, some drugs commonly prescribed for people with chronic pain have the potential for addiction.
But even doctors with limited options for treating pain aren’t happy with the decision.
“There really aren’t many people that are applauding this decision,” said Dr. Andrew Kolodny, a psychiatrist in New York City and the director of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing.
The majority of kids who will wind up getting OxyContin as a result of this decision will not be the appropriate patients, Kolodny told Live Science. Prior to the approval, OxyContin was already under fire for being overprescribed in adults.
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I recall this is the drug that Rush Limbaugh was addicted to. Didn’t it have something to do with him becoming deaf?
Trump is leery of vaccinations. I wonder what he would have to say about this issue if he becomes president and repeals Obamacare.
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I think it did somehow affect his hearing.
Good question. I don’t know what his position is on healthcare.
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Pray that physicians finally say NO and will not prescribe this death pill for children. We all have to begin saying ENOUGH!
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But will the doctors be able to see past the $$ signs? I’m not so sure!
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Some yes. I’ve just recently met a Veterinarian who does not see $$$, the FIRST one I have met in over 15 years. She gives me HOPE that Compassion is returning to medicine.
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