The FDA Approves OxyContin Use in Children

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of the popular opioid medication, OxyContin, in children ages 11 and older. This comes just weeks after new criticism of the drug’s manufacturer, Purdue Pharmacy, for wrongfully marketing the product as non-addictive.

The drug can only be prescribed to children in severe pain who have previously been on a painkiller. With these guidelines, physicians will have to determine whether or not the children can handle the powerful drug. Because of the time-release mechanism in OxyContin, physicians hope allowing children to take it will lead to them taking fewer pills throughout a day. The warnings on the drug will remain the same, and the FDA urges physicians and parents to warn the children of the side effects of opioid medications.

Many people are very concerned about this approval because research shows that substance abuse can begin in adolescents. Giving children access to this drug, even if it is a prescription, can very well lead to addiction.