Updated April 24, 2015.

September 9, 2003
First, for the News:
There was a period of time when you couldn't watch a news broadcast or visit a news website without hearing or reading something about the issues associated with OxyContin^®, it's abuse, and related issues. For many months, it seemed that all the controversy had died down. Actually, that wasn't the case, but it seemed to have lost it's charm in the media -- temporarily.

Recently, it's back in the news, and the news is mixed for legitimate patients with chronic pain.

In the structure of the FDA, pain management medications such as OxyContin^® fall under the auspices of the Anesthetic & Life Support Drugs Advisory Committee, which met on September 9^th and 10^th. The main topic listed on the agenda for the meeting was, "Management of Opiate Analgesics." (Click HERE for the briefing information provided to committee members.) In addition to the committee members, those in attendance included Congressman Hal Rogers (R-KY) ; Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) ; DEA deputy assistant administrator of the office of diversion control, Laura Nagel; Representatives of Purdue Pharma, L.P., the manufacturer of OxyContin^®, and concerned citizens who wished to address the committee.

Congressmen Rogers and Wolf and Ms. Nagel addressed the committee, wanting sales of OxyContin^® to be severely restricted. It is now approved for use by patients with moderate to severe pain. The congressmen and Ms.

Nagel proposed restricting it to being prescribed only to patients in the most severe pain. Additionally, Nagel asked that family doctors and other nonspecialists be prohibited from prescribing the medication. Congressman Rogers spoke about about a friend's child who had misused OxyContin^®, a sheriff who was killed by someone abusing OxyContin^® who was hired by the sheriff's election opponent, and the extent of the problem in his Kentucky Congressional district. Congressman Wolf spoke to the problems associated with OxyContin^® abuse in his Virginia district. Ms. Nagel reported that OxyContin^® addiction is up 400% since 1995. A chronic pain sufferer who attended the meeting and reported on it afterward, commented, "It was approved in either 1995 or 1996 so no wonder it's up so much!" I, too, wonder how this figure was calculated since researching the FDA site reveals that the 10mg, 20mg, and 40mg dosages were approved on December 12, 1995; the 80mg dosage on January 6, 1997.

After hearing and considering all the testimony, the committee rejected the requests for changes in prescribing requirements in a 13 to 5 vote. The panel was also in agreement that prescribing OxyContin should be restricted to those patients for whom other, shorter-acting and less powerful medications are found to be inadequate to relieve their pain.

According to an article in the New York Times¹, "The panel responded enthusiastically when Ms. Nagel revealed the Bush administration's plans to require doctors to get training before prescribing controlled narcotics. 'We came up with this idea two months ago," Ms. Nagel said in an interview, "but we're getting resounding support.'...  Under the administration's proposal, doctors would have to prove that they had taken a painkiller class before receiving permission from the Drug Enforcement Administration to prescribe controlled narcotics. Such permission is now granted routinely without special training. The agency requires that doctors register for this permission every three years, and under the administration's proposal, the agency would require that doctors undergo refresher training every three years.

With the committee's decision, the regulation of OxyContin^® will remain unchanged -- for now. This is definitely an issue that bears continued observation.
 

Now, for Some Editorial Thoughts:
What is repeatedly lost in the debate about OxyContin^® is the most essential aspect of all -- the needs and rights of patients in pain. This is NOT a medical issue; it's a law enforcement issue. We don't need medications such as OxyContin to be more strictly regulated. We need our law enforcement agencies to have the funding, motivation, and desire to enforce the laws and regulations already in place. Taking medications not prescribed for you or giving your prescription medications to others is illegal. Selling drugs on the street is illegal. Robbing a pharmacy or any other establishment is illegal. How can it get more basic?

>>Please follow the links below to read the rest of this article.<<
OxyContin is back in the news, and some would limit its availability...
September 9, 2003
First, for the News:
There was a period of time when you couldn't watch a news broadcast or visit a news website without hearing or reading something about the issues associated with OxyContin^®, it's abuse, and related issues. For many months, it seemed that all the controversy had died down. Actually, that wasn't the case, but it seemed to have lost it's charm in the media -- temporarily. Recently, it's back in the news, and the news is mixed for legitimate patients with chronic pain.

In the structure of the FDA, pain management medications such as OxyContin^® fall under the auspices of the Anesthetic & Life Support Drugs Advisory Committee, which met on September 9^th and 10^th. The main topic listed on the agenda for the meeting was, "Management of Opiate Analgesics." (Click HERE for the briefing information provided to committee members.) In addition to the committee members, those in attendance included Congressman Hal Rogers (R-KY) ; Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) ; DEA deputy assistant administrator of the office of diversion control, Laura Nagel; Representatives of Purdue Pharma, L.P., the manufacturer of OxyContin^®, and concerned citizens who wished to address the committee.

Congressmen Rogers and Wolf and Ms. Nagel addressed the committee, wanting sales of OxyContin^® to be severely restricted. It is now approved for use by patients with moderate to severe pain. The congressmen and Ms. Nagel proposed restricting it to being prescribed only to patients in the most severe pain. Additionally, Nagel asked that family doctors and other nonspecialists be prohibited from prescribing the medication. Congressman Rogers spoke about about a friend's child who had misused OxyContin^®, a sheriff who was killed by someone abusing OxyContin^® who was hired by the sheriff's election opponent, and the extent of the problem in his Kentucky Congressional district. Congressman Wolf spoke to the problems associated with OxyContin^® abuse in his Virginia district. Ms. Nagel reported that OxyContin^® addiction is up 400% since 1995. A chronic pain sufferer who attended the meeting and reported on it afterward, commented, "It was approved in either 1995 or 1996 so no wonder it's up so much!" I, too, wonder how this figure was calculated since researching the FDA site reveals that the 10mg, 20mg, and 40mg dosages were approved on December 12, 1995; the 80mg dosage on January 6, 1997.

After hearing and considering all the testimony, the committee rejected the requests for changes in prescribing requirements in a 13 to 5 vote. The panel was also in agreement that prescribing OxyContin should be restricted to those patients for whom other, shorter-acting and less powerful medications are found to be inadequate to relieve their pain.

According to an article in the New York Times¹, "The panel responded enthusiastically when Ms. Nagel revealed the Bush administration's plans to require doctors to get training before prescribing controlled narcotics. 'We came up with this idea two months ago," Ms. Nagel said in an interview, "but we're getting resounding support.'...  Under the administration's proposal, doctors would have to prove that they had taken a painkiller class before receiving permission from the Drug Enforcement Administration to prescribe controlled narcotics. Such permission is now granted routinely without special training. The agency requires that doctors register for this permission every three years, and under the administration's proposal, the agency would require that doctors undergo refresher training every three years.

With the committee's decision, the regulation of OxyContin^® will remain unchanged -- for now. This is definitely an issue that bears continued observation.
 

Now, for Some Editorial Thoughts:
What is repeatedly lost in the debate about OxyContin^® is the most essential aspect of all -- the needs and rights of patients in pain. This is NOT a medical issue; it's a law enforcement issue. We don't need medications such as OxyContin to be more strictly regulated. We need our law enforcement agencies to have the funding, motivation, and desire to enforce the laws and regulations already in place. Taking medications not prescribed for you or giving your prescription medications to others is illegal. Selling drugs on the street is illegal. Robbing a pharmacy or any other establishment is illegal. How can it get more basic?

>>Please follow the links below to read the rest of this article.<<