Pubdate: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA) Copyright: 2004 San Jose Mercury News Contact: http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/390 Author: Marc Kaufman, Washington Post Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/oxycontin.htm (Oxycontin/Oxycodone) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?232 (Chronic Pain) DEA MOVES TO RESTRICT PAINKILLER Widely Used Hydrocodone Being Abused, Agency Says WASHINGTON - The Drug Enforcement Administration is working to make one of the nation's most widely prescribed medications more difficult for patients to obtain as part of its stepped-up offensive against the diversion and abuse of prescription painkillers. Top DEA officials confirm that the agency is eager to change the official listing of the narcotic hydrocodone -- which was prescribed more than 100 million times last year -- to the highly restricted Schedule II category of the Controlled Substances Act. A painkiller and cough suppressant sold as Lortab, Vicodin and 200 generic brands, hydrocodone combined with other medications has long been available under the less stringent rules of Schedule III. The DEA effort is part of a broad campaign to address the problem of prescription drug abuse, which the agency says is growing quickly around the nation. But the initiative has repeatedly pitted the agency against doctors, pharmacists and pain sufferers, and it is doing so again with the hydrocodone proposal. Pain specialists and pharmacy representatives say the restrictions would be a burden on the millions of Americans who need the drug to treat serious pain from arthritis, AIDS, cancer and chronic injuries, and that many sufferers would probably be prescribed other, less effective drugs as a result. If the change is made, millions of patients, doctors and pharmacists will be affected, some substantially. Patients, for instance, would have to visit their doctors more often for hydrocodone prescriptions, because they could not be refilled; doctors could no longer phone in prescriptions; and pharmacists would have to fill out significantly more paperwork and keep the drugs in a safe. Improper prescribing would carry potentially greater penalties. The DEA says the change is necessary because hydrocodone is being widely misused -- with a 48 percent increase in emergency room reports of hydrocodone abuse from 1998 to 2001. The DEA effort comes as the agency is embroiled in a dispute with many pain specialists over the use -- and alleged overprescribing -- of another powerful painkiller, OxyContin. Scores of doctors have been arrested on felony charges of conspiracy, drug trafficking and even murder in connection with their prescribing. Susan Winkler of the American Pharmacists Association said her organization is concerned that the "ripple effects" would be substantial and negative. "Our members and doctors would have increased liability" if hydrocodone is reclassified, "and that will inevitably reduce prescribing," she said. "We urge the DEA to make sure their decision is based on science and will make the situation better, not worse." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom