Authored by: Ollie Lammers
According to CBSNews.com, a recent report shows the FDA may have failed to set strict enough standards and follow through for training doctors about the risks associated with opioids.
In 2012, the FDA set up rules requiring painkiller manufacturers to deliver continuing education to doctors and develop medication guides for patients about risks. The rules were part of a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) which also required the companies to monitor and report on the access to drugs and patient safety.
According to a published study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University the continuing education and oversight on patients receiving the prescriptions did not happen.
Experts say the problem was the FDA let the pharmaceutical companies create the curriculum.
Researchers also found that the FDA failed to follow up on problems with the program and reportedly never insisted on changes to address those problems.
For more information, click here to read the article on CBS News.