Pallone Applauds FDA Measures to Combat Opioid Abuse

Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) issued the following statement commending the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for taking important steps to address the opioid epidemic sweeping our nation. Today, the agency released its Opioids Action Plan, which, among other measures, would compel manufacturers to more clearly convey the serious risks associated with the use of opioid pain relievers. In June 2015, Pallone led a letter to FDA, signed by 22 Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee, urging the agency to implement this much needed change:

“The measures FDA has announced today give an important boost to our efforts to address our country’s opioid crisis. I’m particularly pleased to see that the FDA has acted on my recommendation to apply stronger labeling requirements to opioid pain relievers so that both doctors and patients are more aware of the serious abuse, addiction, and overdose risks associated with their use.

“I also commend FDA for strengthening postmarketing requirements for opioids, providing much needed guidance to generic manufacturers on abuse-deterrent formulations, and incorporating the broader public health impact of opioids into drug approval decisions. These commonsense and much needed changes will help to address this ongoing public health crisis, and should also strengthen our resolve in Congress to pass meaningful legislation to combat the opioid epidemic.”