Next week, FDA committee of outside experts will meet to review risk-management plans
FRIDAY, April 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Mandatory safety training for doctors who prescribe opioids is being reconsidered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Next week, an FDA committee of outside experts will meet to review risk-management plans introduced nearly four years ago in an effort to reduce misuse of opioids responsible for a national crisis of abuse and death, The Associated Press reported.
Under current programs, drug companies fund voluntary training for doctors on how to safely prescribe these medications, but many experts — including a previous FDA advisory committee — believe such training should be mandatory. The FDA’s own investigations “show mixed results that make it difficult to draw conclusions regarding the success of the program,” according to briefing documents posted online, the AP reported.
The FDA will present its findings at the two-day meeting, which begins Tuesday. The advisory panel will consider the issue and make recommendations about the doctor training program. The FDA does not have to follow the panel’s advice.
Copyright © 2016 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
