Friday, June 26, 2009
CAPC FDA opioid petition
Sorry about the extra post, but....
The Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) is circulating a petition (originating from the American Pain Foundation) to urge the FDA to protect the rights of people with pain regarding access to opioids, as the REMS process unfolds.
The text of their press release/call to action:
As you are probably aware by now, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is currently working with makers of long-acting opioids to develop a plan to reduce opioid diversion/illicit use. This plan is known as Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies, or REMS. The FDA is currently accepting comments from the general public until June 30, 2009 surrounding this issue. You should know that some of the comments the FDA has received have called for an outright ban or moratorium on certain opioid pain medications.
CAPC is distributing a petition created by the American Pain Foundation in order to help facilitate your response to the FDA. Please sign this petition TODAY to help make sure that patients in pain continue to have access to effective pain care, including prescribed opioid medications. Your voice and the voices of other pain advocates are needed to remind decision makers that the lives and livelihoods lost to pain are worth no less than victims of drug misuse or abuse. The FDA needs to hear how vital access to these medications is to people with pain and what tragic results could occur if they were denied access to these medications or if additional barriers were created making access more difficult for people who are legitimately prescribed these medications.
Petition here.
CAPC page about FDA action/REMS here.
