State Legislators Try to Reverse Ruling of New FDA-Approved Painkiller Zohydro

This week New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman called for state police officers to carry the drug naloxone to reverse heroin overdoses. Now, state officials across the U.S. are fighting to reverse the approval of the new painkiller Zohydro.

Zohydro, recently approved by the FDA, contains five times the amount of narcotic hydrocodone than current and previous painkillers. Legislators and health officials believe that the new drug, which is now available to be prescribed, will worsen the current prescription painkiller problem across the United States.

Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts spoke last week about how the state needed to crack down on heroin use as well as prescription painkiller abuse and misuse. He asked that money be allocated to help those with addiction issues and that police departments have naloxone on hand to help prevent heroin overdoses. The Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire governors made similar requests as well.

And just two days ago, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman mirrored the requests of Governor Patrick, as these politicians and officials seem to be working together to help solve this growing problem. In New York, heroin overdoses have increased 84% between 2010 and 2012, and overdoses have been gradually increasing in the New England region as well.

"What puzzles all of us is the recent FDA action to approve a new opiate that's stronger and likely to be even more addictive because of its strength," said Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin in this CBS News article. "Zohydro has been approved by the FDA to the bewilderment of many of us."

But the FDA's job is to approve drugs that they believe will help people. They're not overly concerned with how people can illegally obtain those drugs or misuse them. Zohydro could be helpful for those who experience serious chronic pain issues. Currently, nearly one-third of all Americans suffer from chronic pain, many of those cases being back pain or discomfort following a serious surgical procedure.

However, this is not stopping state legislators and public figures from fighting against the powerful Zohydro. Governor Patrick ordered a ban on prescribing and dispensing the drug in his state until it is marketing in a form that is difficult to abuse.

To read more about Zohydro and the politicians fighting against it, visit this Washington Post article.