DEA tightens restrictions on hydrocodone combos

[neversickanymore]

DEA tightens restrictions on hydrocodone combos
By Benjamin Goad - 08/21/14

The Drug Enforcement Agency moved Thursday to stem a rise in the abuse of powerful painkillers by listing hydrocodone-combination products as Schedule II drugs under the Controlled Substance Act.

The action, which takes effect in 45 days, will tighten the government’s regulatory control over the drugs and boost criminal penalties for anyone caught illegally dealing or possessing them.

Pure hydrocodone drugs have been listed as Schedule II drugs since the advent of the list in 1971. But hydrocodone-combination products (HCPs) — those made with specified amounts of other therapeutically active non-narcotic ingredients — were listed as the less-restrictive Schedule III.



Read more: http://thehill.com/regulation/21566...on-list-of-most-dangerous-drugs#ixzz3B2iZDgyp
Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

So they're making acetaminophen-hyrdocodone products Schedule II? Sounds good, but I feel for the addicts. Laws against drugs work when they don't penalize those who have been abducted by the beast.

 

[straightrazor]

Great. Tramadol became federally scheduled 4 days ago and now hydrocodone is going be Schedule II in 45 days.

Fuck pain patients, amiright?

 

[f33lg00d]

Well now hopefully there'll be more straight hydro without that awful apap in it since the only reason docs prescribed the combo was because of the lesser restrictions.

 

[phenethylo J]

Lovely was already in a horrible mood today and now I needed to read this. Has having oxycodone in scheduled 2 prevented a single death? Has having heroin in schedule 1 prevented the people who abuse these drugs from switching over and ODing? Has denying the sick and suffering these life changing medications helped them or their families? As somebody who suffers from multiple chronic health issues that depends on opiates to be functional this infuriates me. I know this may sound cruel but sometimes I wish the bullies who make these policies would get in a horrible accident and then be denied pain meds for the rest of their life so they would truly know what it is like to be in the shoes of the countless lives they destroy.

 

[straightrazor]

Well now hopefully there'll be more straight hydro without that awful apap in it since the only reason docs prescribed the combo was because of the lesser restrictions.

The doctors had no choice but to prescribe the combo as there was no straight hydrocodone product on the market at all until Zohydro was approved last year. I don't even think it was available to consumers until April of this year...

 

[ro4eva]

Great. Tramadol became federally scheduled 4 days ago and now hydrocodone is going be Schedule II in 45 days.

Fuck pain patients, amiright?

Exactly.

"Walk it off or go to a methadone clinic and pretend you're an addict in order to receive the pain killing effects of the drug without too much hassle."

Such stupidity in these laws. Would be great to see the DEA cease to exist. Damn homewrecking parasites.