Will Percocet and Vicoden Be Banned?

The popular pain pills, Percocet and Vicoden, have been put on the chopping block. A vote by an advisory panel recommended that the two be banned. Both are available only by prescription. Over the counter meds like Tylenol having the generic name of acetaminophen and a narcotic are what makes up drugs like Percocet. Taking a lot of these drugs can damage the liver and many people take the prescription drugs (and die from them) for a long time. Like any narcotic people need more and more to stop whatever pain they have or imagine they are having.

The final decision will be by the F.D.A. The panel even recommended that the number of pills in the over the counter head ache reliever like Tylenol's milligrams be lowered from 500 mg which is what a bottle of Tylenol will have to 325 mg.

One panel member is Dr. Lewis Nelson. He is a toxicologist from NYU's School of Medicine. Dr. Nelson, the panel's chairperson, has been a long time advocate of warning of the dangers of painkillers like Percocet.

It seems that the same effect can be used if the drugs are taken separately. Of course the makers of Tylenol, Johnson & Johnson, don't like this proposed change. Although they may be saying that they care about people's lives they also note that people might go and use other over the counter products that are no more safe than 500 mg of Tylenol.

Linda A. Suydam who is the president of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, said "The committee had ignored studies showing that doses sold by her members - two pills of 500 milligrams, up to four times a day - were safe." She said "I think this is a very effective dose and one needed for individuals who experience chronic pain." New York Times

The panel voted almost unanimously to limit over the counter children's medicines containing acetaminophen to only one formula rather than making it confusing to parents to have both concentrated and non-concentrated formulas.

A study was conducted in 2005 which showed that most poisonings occurred when people took products like Percocet. So it seems clear that the combo of the two medications - Tylenol,etc. and Percocet, etc. is dangerous and we can only hope the F.D.A. makes the right decision.

Sources

New York Times
Drug Policy Central