FDA bolsters warnings on most widely used painkillers

The U.S. Food and Drug Administrationwill require new, tougher labeling for immediate-release opioid pain medications that will include a boxed safety warning about misuse in an effort to combat the current drug abuse epidemic.

The move comes as the nation is experiencing a record number of overdose deaths. In 2014, more than 47,000 Americans died from drug overdose.

In addition to the warning about immediate-release medications, the FDA is also requiring all opioid products to include additional safety information that explains the risks involved with such drugs interacting with other medications.

Read more at: http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20160322/NEWS/303229998

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