As a country, we sure do like our prescription painkillers. In fact, we like them a bit too much: Americans consume 99% of all hydrocodone drugs manufactured in the world. Prescription drug abuse — and deaths from overdose — are rampant. The DEA is hoping to stem the tide of abuse and overdose with a new rule that changes the way some painkillers are classified, and will make them harder for individuals to get. [More]
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FDA Suggests Tightening Access To Painkillers Like Vicodin
By 10.25.13
Yesterday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended that the rules regarding drugs with hydrocodone, which is often in painkillers like vicodin, be a lot tighter. It suggests that the drug be reclassified along the level of other opioid painkillers like oxycodone and morphine. [More]
DEA: Walgreens Ignored Signs, Encouraged Questionable Sales Of Oxycodone At Florida Pharmacies
By 7.2.13
Earlier this summer, the Drug Enforcement Agency slapped Walgreens with a substantial $80 million settlement over allegations that the drugstore chain had allowed an ocean of prescription painkillers to hit the black market in Florida. Now, between revelations from the local police and uncovered DEA documents, the public is finally getting an idea of just how bad the problem was, and how much Walgreens turned a blind eye to illegal activity at its stores. [More]
Vicodin: The Most Popular Prescription Pill In America's Medicine Cabinet
By 4.20.11
With the White House and the FDA dreaming up ways to curb the pain-pill problem in the U.S., we got to wondering just what are the most popular (legal) drugs in the country? Thankfully, the folks at Time.com were thinking about the same thing, because they put together a handy/dandy list of the 10 most-prescribed meds, none of which is Viagra. [More]
FDA Asks Prescription Drug Companies To Limit Amount Of Acetaminophen
By 1.13.11
Worried about the possibility of liver damage from over use, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked manufacturers of prescription drugs containing acetaminophen to limit the amount of acetaminophen to no more than 325 mg in each tablet or capsule. [More]
FDA May Take Vicodin And Percocet Off The Market
By 7.1.09
Bad news for Dr. Greg House and other, non-fictional chronic pain patients. The FDA advisory panel that met yesterday about the effects of excessive doses of acetaminophen made another recommendation to the FDA—to take popular painkillers Vicodin and Percocet (and their generic versions) off the market because of the effect both drugs can have on the liver when taken for extended periods. The FDA will most likely follow this recommendation.
Kmart Settles A Bunch of Lawsuits
By 9.20.06
It’s a big day at Kmart. They’ve settled a bunch of lawsuits and they’re ready to move on. To what, I don’t know. I haven’t been inside a K-mart since 1983, and neither has anyone else without a lawsuit pending.
Investigative Reporter Busted for Buying Drugs Online
By 6.8.06
How easy is it to buy prescription drugs online? One Houston Press reporter undertook an investigation into the Vicodin and Viagra airdropping world and found out. Then the DEA showed up at his office and confiscated all the drugs.
