Friday, November 19, 2010

Manufacturer Pulls Darvon, Darvocet Pain Medicine

I'm posting this article because many of our Pennsylvania workers' compensation clients and auto accident clients take pain medications for obvious reasons. Many of these medications are for controlling chronic pain due to very serious injuries. Our clients suffer from life-long pain and disability due to these injuries. With these drugs off the market, although our clients will be safer, they will ultimately have fewer choices to manage their pain.

From ABC NEWS- Health:

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Friday that it is pulling off the U.S. market the prescription painkillers Darvon and Darvocet, which combines Darvon with the aspirin substituteacetaminophen, because of new scientific evidence they can damage the heart, even at recommended doses, or cause fatal cardiac abnormalities. The agency now is asking manufacturers of generic propoxyphene to do the same.

The drugs have been banned in Great Britain since 2005. The European Medicines Agency in June 2009 recommended their gradual removal from the European Union market after concluding risks, including the risk of fatal overdose, outweighed pain-relieving benefits."

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