Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., on National Academies of Sciences, Engineering

U.S. Food & Drug Administration press release ------ In March 2016, the FDA asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to outline the state of the science regarding prescription opioid abuse and misuse, as well as the evolving role that opioids play in pain management. We greatly appreciate all the work done by NASEM over the past year to produce the comprehensive report released today, which includes recommendations for the FDA and others on this important issue. Reducing the scope of the epidemic of opioid addiction is my highest immediate priority as Commissioner, and since joining the FDA two months ago, I’ve been working with my colleagues to capitalize on the good work that has already been done and expand those efforts in novel directions. I’ve asked my FDA colleagues to take a fresh look at some key features of the agency’s regulation of opioids, including provider education, benefit-risk assessment in the pre- and post-market setting, and steps we can take to reduce overall exposure to these drugs. As we continue these efforts, I was encouraged to see that many of NASEM’s recommendations for the FDA are in areas where we’ve already made new commitments. To learn more click on the picture below to read the release.