SCHUMER, AT SENATE HEARING, SECURES SUPPORT FROM TOP DEA OFFICIAL TO MAKE HYDROCODONE A SCHEDULE II NARCOTIC - MAJOR STEP TOWARDS CRACKING DOWN ON PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE
Vicodin Is Most Commonly Abused Prescription Drug By High School Seniors in the US; Despite the Fact that Oxycodone Is Classified as a Schedule II Drug, Drugs Like Vicodin that Contain Hydrocodone Are Not, Making Them Easier To Illegally Obtain And Steal
At Senate Hearing Today, Schumer Receives Support from Top Drug Enforcer for Rescheduling Hydrocodone; Announcement Puts FDA On Notice To Stop Dragging Its Heels And Finally Take Action to Reschedule Hydrocodone
Schumer: DEA Support for Drug Reclassification Is a Huge Step Towards Finally Cracking Down On Prescription Drug Abuse
This week, United States Senator Charles E. Schumer, at a hearing of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, received for the first time public support from the top official in the Drug Enforcement Agency who is in charge of the office of diversion control, to reclassify drugs containing hydrocodone, like Vicodin, from Schedule III to Schedule II. This is the first time the DEA has publicly supported such an effort. Despite the fact that a recent study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that Vicodin was the most commonly abused drug by High School seniors, and despite the fact that Oxycodone is already classified as a schedule II drug, Vicodin, and all other drugs containing partial amounts of hydrocodone, are classified as Schedule III drugs, meaning that they can be refilled over the phone and do not have to be stored securely. Rescheduling hydrocodone as a Schedule II drug would require patients to bring in a doctor's original prescription and would also require that the pills to be stored securely in a safe. The FDA has been considering rescheduling hydrocodone for four years but has yet to act - Schumer's announcement that the head of the DEA's Office of Diversion Control Joseph Rannazzisi endorses this policy puts significant pressure on the FDA to reschedule these drugs.
"This statement of support from the DEA gives a major boost to our effort to treat the distribution and handling of these narcotics with the seriousness and security the prescription drug epidemic demands," said Schumer. "It boggles the mind that oxycodone is considered a Schedule II drug, while drugs that contain hydrocodone like Vicodin are not. With today's announcement by the DEA, the ball is now in the FDA's court to finally step up to the plate and reclassify these drugs in a way that recognizes the levels of addiction and resultant crime that have been plaguing communities from Medford to Eltingville."
Hydrocodone is one of the primary causes of the prescription drug abuse crisis, and is found in popular medications such as Vicodin. Despite the obvious risks of hydrocodone-combination substances, only pure hydrocodone is currently listed as a Schedule II drug, making the combined substances far too easy to obtain and less securely stored. These drugs are classified as less-restrictive Schedule III drugs, whereas pure hydrocodone is included in Schedule II.
In order to reschedule a substance, the FDA must complete an eight factor analysis which includes a recommendation regarding the scheduling of a substance. Following the FDA's recommendation, the DEA is then supposed to enforce it, but there is no timeline for how long the FDA can take to study and present its recommendation. The FDA has said it has been considering whether to reschedule the substance for four years. Schumer argued that given the worsening of the prescription drug crisis, the FDA needed to finally make a decision on this issue.
Schumer announced that the head of the DEA's Office of Diversion Control Joseph Rannazzisi endorsed rescheduling hydrocodone as a Schedule II substance at a hearing of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, signaling a major step forward in the fight against prescription drug abuse. The proposal would eliminate the exemption in Schedule III for substances containing hydrocodone, which includes combined hydrocodone and acetaminophen or ibuprofen drugs. This means that an original, written prescription would be needed to refill orders for these drugs, with call-in refills no longer being acceptable. This requires that a person must be under the supervision of a doctor while taking these potentially dangerous and abusive prescription drugs, and would help crackdown on the abuse of these drugs. This proposal would also increase the security of the distribution chain of hydrocodone, making the theft or diversion of large quantities of hydrocodone pills much more difficult.
Schumer noted that this move marked the first time anyone at the DEA has publically endorsed rescheduling hydrocodone as a Schedule II drug, an important step in the effort to pressure the Food and Drug Administration to reschedule the drugs. Schumer noted that the DEA's endorsement of the policy change today should put the necessary pressure on the FDA to make the change. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has also been pushing the FDA to reschedule the substance, but the FDA has refused to act.
The rescheduling of hydrocodone is one of many Schumer efforts to combat pharmaceutical theft and prescription narcotics addiction in New York and the country. Schumer also proposed and passed the SAFE DOSES Act, which will combat theft of prescription drugs at every point of the drug supply chain. The Senator is also co-sponsoring legislation, with Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), that would require medical professionals to participate in specialized training to prescribe drugs like Oxycontin, Vicodin, and other opiate-based narcotics. Additionally, Senator Schumer has successfully started prescription drug education programs in New York to crack down on the epidemic.