In continuation of my update on Hydrocodone
Seeking to make it tougher for people to misuse prescription painkillers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a new hydrocodone tablet that's designed to help thwart abuse.
Hydrocodone -- best known by the brand name Vicodin (combination of Hydrocodone and Paracetamol) - is a powerful opioid painkiller that has been tied to a surge in dangerous addictions across the United States.
The FDA said that newly approved Hysingla ER (hydrocodone bitartrate) is an extended-release tablet to treat pain severe enough to require daily, round-the-clock, long-term opioid treatment that can't be eased by other pain medications.
The drug is not approved for "as-needed" pain relief, the agency said.
Hysingla has features that are expected to reduce, but not prevent, abuse of the drug. According to the FDA, the tablet is difficult to crush, break or dissolve, making it tougher for abusers to snort or inject it.
