Lawmakers Concerned Over Crushable Narcotics

U.S. Representative Hal Rogers and Senator Mitch McConnell each sounded the alarm last week over patents expiring next month on prescription narcotics such as Oxycontin and Opana. Once the patents expire, generic versions of the two drugs will be allowed on the market. Rogers has asked the Food and Drug Administration to act before January 1st to require generic manufacturers to also implement tamper-resistant coatings. McConnell called Bill Schultz, acting general counsel for the Department of Health and Human Services, to his office last Wednesday to express his concerns, saying he has heard concerns from law enforcement, hospitals and health clinics in Kentucky that these generic crushable drugs lack the tamper-resistant gel coating of the brand name drugs.