FDA Wants New Painkiller Limits

They kill far more people than drugs like cocaine, heroin, or meth, but they’re way easier to get. Now, in a major policy shift, the FDA is recommending tighter restrictions on prescription painkillers that are widely abused, mostly thanks to the loose rules around prescribing them. The painkillers at issue combine hydrocodone with a popular over-the-counter medication like aspirin or acetaminophen, and are given for pain from basic injuries and medical procedures. The new regulations would decrease the number of refills allowed before the patient has to visit the doctor—reducing the current supply a patient can get on one prescription by half. They could go into effect as early as next year.