A new FDA-approved painkiller has some doctors worried about its abuse potential:
On October 25, 2013, the FDA announced it had approved the drug. The agency gave its rationale later in a statement: “In the case of Zohydro ER [extended release], we determined that the benefits of the product outweigh its risks.” (The FDA has taken a public beating ever since; every time the FDA defends its decision, the makers of Zohydro post it on the company website like an endorsement.)
Before the sun came up the day after Zohydro’s approval, an opiophile had posted this reaction online: “When a 50 mg Zorro hits the block, it’s gonna fetch a big ol’ price, I betcha. And it’s anti-abuse-proof. Hell, yeah, I can see the Tweens lining up at my klinik already.”
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