Photo by Vaprotan via Flickr
Writing on the Off the Charts blog, Jacob Molyneux of the American Journal of Nursing explains that restrictions on Vicodin and Percocet (Schedule III opioids) could be joined by another regulation, resulting in a situation in which physicians may not be able to effectively treat those who suffer from moderate to severe pain.
Molyneux reports that the Food and Drug Administration is considering requiring physicians to obtain special certification in order to be allowed to prescribe Schedule II opioids, a class that includes morphine and oxycodone. The regulations under consideration might also include a national register of folks with Schedule II prescriptions.
