September 10, 2013
While Opioid-based pain medications can be an effective tool in the treatment of many patients, the Painkiller Overdose Lawyers with Ferrer Poirot Feller Daniel explain these medications have some of the highest rates of injury and death in the nation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found drug overdose death rates in the United States have more than tripled since 1990 and have never been higher. In 2008 alone, more than 36,000 people died from drug overdoses, and a majority of these deaths were attributed to prescription painkillers.
In an effort to reduce these numbers, the U.S Food and Drug Administration recently announced it would be requiring new labeling standards for extended-release prescription painkillers. The agency also stated it would be requiring manufacturers of these drugs to examine the long-term effects taking these medications for extended periods of time can cause.
The new labels will indicate that the drugs are not intended for “as needed” users, and should instead only be given to those in need of long-term pain management. Furthermore, the labels will also state that the medications are intended only for users where alternative treatment methods failed.
The law firm’s team of Drug Injury Lawyers are hopeful that the labeling changes will be effective in helping to reduce the number of patients who suffer overdoses of prescription strength pain medications.