Chronic Pain Management and the FDA Panel Recommendations

A Federal Drug Administration (FDA) panel voted narrowly (20 to 17) in June 2009 to recommend a ban on Percocet and Vicodin, two of the most popular prescription painkillers in the world, because of their effects on the liver.

I have mixed thoughts about the efficacy of this proposed ban. On one hand, I have seen the quality of life improve for many people who received adequate pain relief from this type of medication. But I have also worked with people who abused them. Understandably many healthcare providers don’t understand the logic behind banning a drug which, when taken as prescribed, won’t harm a patient.

The FDA's Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee said in their report that the agency should ban the two prescription painkillers, Percocet and Vicodin, due to their high levels of acetaminophen and the ease with which patients can become addicted to them. Acetaminophen is also combined with different narcotics in at least seven other prescription drugs, and all of these combination pills will be banned if the Food and Drug Administration heeds the advice of this panel.

One of the reasons I am taking this issue so seriously is the impact this proposed ban will have on pain management. Not just for acute pain situations like serious bone breaks, major dental procedures etc., but also in the chronic pain management arena. Many healthcare providers have traditionally prescribed medications like Vicodin and Percocet to address breakthrough pain for people undergoing cancer treatment or other serious types of chronic pain conditions.

Whatever the outcome from the FDA, I believe it is important that anyone undergoing chronic pain management should develop a safe and effective medication management plan if they are on any medications that have serious risk factors, as well as looking at the psychological factors that accompany a pain condition, and what non-medication approaches can be implemented.

I Recommend This Three Part Approach To Developing
An Effective Chronic Pain Management Plan

1. Medication Management which includes a medication management agreement;


2. Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment that addresses pain versus suffering by learning how to managing thoughts and feelings, as well as changing self-defeating behaviors and problematic social/family reactions; and


3. Nonpharmacological (non-medication) Interventions which supports the development of safer ways to manage pain.

To learn more about how to developing a medication management plan please check out my last month’s article 12 Personal Action Steps for Chronic Pain Management that you can download for free on our Ariticles page.

If you would like to see my upcoming trainings and especially to learn about my 20 hour (three days) Addiction-Free Pain Management® Certification Training on December 7-9, 2009 in Sacramento California designed to teach treatment strategies for people living with chronic pain and coexisting disorders including disorders including addiction please Click Here and scroll down to the December 7-9, 2009 for the description and how to sign up.

You can learn more about the Addiction-Free Pain Management® System at our website www.addiction-free.com. If you are working with people undergoing chronic pain management and want to learn how to develop a plan for managing their chronic pain and coexisting psychological disorders; including depression, addiction and other coexisting psychological disorders effectively; please consider my book Managing Pain and Coexisting Disorders: Using the Addiction-Free Pain Management® System. To purchase this book please Click Here.

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