FDA Panel Votes to Eliminate Vicodin and Percocet

So, if these drugs are pulled, what is going to be given to manage pain, esp. those w/ chronic pain?
Seriously, adequate pain management for people with chronic pain is difficult for people NOW...pull these drugs? Now what?

-People will suffer, needlessly
-People can be prescribed Compound drugs w/ less acetaminophen (I see this done a few pharmacies)
-People will be Prescribed stronger drugs that do not have any acetaminophen in them
-People in pain will seek out dealers and self-medicate


And I feel that the ER at my Hospital is inundated with people seeking pain relief now....just wait.....

Obviously not, apparently people feel if it's sold OTC it's fine, and safe no matter if they take the whole bottle. Why should they bother to read the label?? They'd have to put it in BIG red letters to get people to even read it, let alone follow it.

Even my husband is ridiculous about meds, he's in bed feeling rotten, stomach flu symptoms. He got sick earlier, and I had to explain in detail that yes he could take ONE phenergan, but he couldn't drive, that it would make him EXTREMELY drowsy. Yes it's written on the bottle, but would he be bothered to read it? No.

NOPE! Unless each bottle of pills broadcasts a signal to their TV set for the drug warnings to be gently/lovingly spoon fed into their ears (during commercial breaks), some patients JUST DON'T CARE.

Until, of course, their actions nuke their liver. Then it's the eeeevil drug company's fault, or their personal physician's - which ever one has deeper pockets or a larger target on their chest.

vicoprofen??

I know liver failure related to tylenol overdoses is serious/ frighteningly common, but why eliminate vicodin and percocet completely? The people prescribing / pharmacists should make sure that patients understand the importance of max tylenol intake. What would they prescribe for post-op patients at home? Oxycontin? Morphine?

Kerri

edit: I didn't read the previous posts, sorry

Puh-LEEEEEEEEEESE............do we really need more Nanny-State stuff like this?

This is the same government that doesn't want to give us single-payer health care, but they'll make it impossible to obtain effective painkillers because a few people are irresponsible (or just plain stupid) with them. That's messed up.

if memory serves....the reason for the combo was to cause DRS to limit the pain med they prescribed....some docs tend to forget how much tylenol they are prescribing.....i have seen enough percs ordered that the max was over reached....especially when you take into consideration that over age 60 the max is 3 gms.....and i am under the impression that there is no hydrocodone plain? is this true?....so you will be giving more pills (oxy and apap separately)....oh well.....
also remember a nurse sharing with me about 15 years ago that she had been at a CEU seminar...on pharmacy and they had been told that for most if not all persons extra strength apap was unnecessary.....just sales for the maker

If you read the article you'll see that the hydrocodone in vicodin isn't the problem-- it's the acetaminophen.

There's no special reason hydrocodone et al has to be packaged and taken with acetaminophen or ibuprofen, to the best of my knowledge. The problem is that acetaminophen is so prolific in combination medications that many laypeople don't realize they're even taking it or how much they've taken.

I agree with the above post. Pain is not treated well. It will be even more difficult to treat if the FDA limits which medication is available for our patients. I do realize acetaminophen is dangerous, especially when it is in combination with other meds. Patients don't always realize how much they are taking. But maybe they should change the labeling to make it more obvious they are taking a prescription with tylenol in it.

I also think that people don't realize how dangerous tylenol can be and so aren't afraid to take higher doses. Did you notice if you go to the store to buy some plain tylenol, there are shelves of the extra strength tylenol. Try to find a box of regular strength tylenol and you have to search to find the one bottle. So I would venture to guess most people end up taking two tylenol and take 1000 mg instead of the standard 650 mg. And we wonder why people are taking too much.

It is a shame that we have to make laws to protect people from themselves. This issue has been around as long as I've been a nurse. People seem to think that if you can buy it at WalMart it isn't going to hurt you and that if one works, 6 will work better and faster. I see people combine OTC cold meds with Asa and Tylenol even though the label clearly states the ingredients and amounts of all meds. I personally have always instructed my pts when their pain med includes a dose of Tylenol/ibuprofen. The instructions from the pharmacy clearly state the dose of Tylenol and warn people not to take both Vicodin and Tylenol! SO,...where does the responsibility fall when someone refuses the warnings or just doesn't care enough to read labels before swallowing a handful of pills? AArrggghhhhhhhh...........