Personal Injury Law

FDA Panel Urges Ban on Vicodin, Percocet

By Greg Jones

Following the release of an FDA report last month that found severe liver damage, and even death, due to consumer's lack of awareness that acetaminophen can cause serious injury, an FDA panel is urging that the popular prescription painkillers Vicodin and Percocet, which combine acetaminophen with an opiate narcotic, be banned. The FDA panel is also urging the lowering of the the maximum dose of over-the-counter painkillers with acetaminophen, like Tylenol or Excedrin.

The panel showed a rear concern with the potential abuse of Vicodin and Percocet but went further to caution on the OTC, over the counter, drugs as well. The panel believed that people often consume more of the recommended dose of acetaminophen mistakenly thinking that taking more will be better against pain without posing any health risks

The FDA is not obligated to follow the recommendations of its advisory panels, but it usually does.

Please be diligent with your intake of medicine, either over the counter or prescription, that contain acetaminophen. Especially in the case of children, side effects can be quite serious if over adminsitered. This should hlep remind us all that even seemingless harmless drugs that must of us keep in our medicine cabinets have potentially harmful side effects that should not be ignored.

Full post as published by Charlotte Personal Injury Lawyer on July 01, 2009 (boomark / email).