The FDA today starts its two-day meeting to hash out whether it should limit or even remove high-dose opioids from the market.
The big picture: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says "higher dosages of opioids are associated with higher risk of overdose and death," and people really shouldn't take painkillers that exceed a certain limit.
- Some opioids, like the OxyContin 80 mg tablet, vastly exceed the CDC's suggested limit with just one pill.
Yes, but: Patients battling chronic pain are worried they will be worse off if they have taper to lower doses.
Guess who’s presenting: RADARS, which has advocated against restricting prescriptions of high-dose painkillers. Ted Cicero, a paid researcher for RADARS, will talk about "understanding opioid trajectories."
Go deeper: Watch the FDA's webcast
