FDA Approves Oxycontin (oxycodone) for Children as Young as 11
FRIDAY, Aug. 14, 2015 -- Limited use of the widely abused painkiller OxyContin in children as young as 11 years old was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Studies by OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma "supported a new pediatric indication for OxyContin in patients 11 to 16 years old and provided prescribers with helpful information about the use of OxyContin in pediatric patients," said Dr. Sharon Hertz, director of new anesthesia, analgesia and addiction products for the FDA, NBC News reported.
OxyContin is a long-release version of oxycodone, which belongs to a family of powerful painkillers called opioids. These drugs are highly addictive and popular with addicts and drug dealers.
This newly-approved use of OxyContin in young patients is likely to be highly controversial, according to NBC News.
Opioids kill an average of 44 people a day in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Posted: August 2015
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