Prescription Drugs 2 Go

Darvocet is a Controversial Drug

It’s a drug that’s run into a lot of trouble. A narcotic pain reliever recommended for mild pain, Darvocet ran into trouble with the United States Food and Drugs Administration in the first six months of 2009.

FDA Warning

It has two active ingredients – acetaminophen and propoxyphene. Acetaminophen basically brings down fever while propoxyphene is a narcotic pain reliever. Also, acetaminophen enhances the effects of propoxyphene.

Propoxyphene has been used in pain-relieving medications for more than 50 years. But new concerns and pressure from the public had led the FDA to recommend that Darvocet be taken off the market.

The FDA admitted that Darvocet may raise the risk of suicide and accidental deaths. It said the benefits of Darvocet outweighed the risks. Besides, it was pointed out that Darvocet was not more effective than other pain relievers to justify it staying on the market.

Interestingly, Darvocet and other medications including propoxyphene were withdrawn from the United Kingdom in 2005 after a phased withdrawal.

Double Trouble

Opposition was simultaneously brewing from another quarter – to the other ingredient in Darvocet. According to the advisory committee of the FDA, acetaminophen may increase liver toxicity, liver failure and even death.

If acetaminophen were to be banned, so would scores of everyday pills that millions of Americans pop every day. That is because acetaminophen is the generic name for some of the most popular pain relieving drugs available in the market.

These are both over-the-counter medications as well as prescription drugs for pain and the common cold.

The red flag went up when emergency personnel observed that around 55,000 cases suffering from an overdose of drugs like Darvocet ended up in hospital emergency rooms across the country.

Some of these may not be deliberate cases but individuals who did not realize that merely popping a few extra pills could result in potentially life threatening circumstances.

Change in Labelling

In July 2009, the FDA finally decided not to ban the drug. Instead, it directed the manufacturers to include a boxed warning on the packaging and include a medication manual highlighting potential risks.

So Darvocet managed to get off with a slap on the wrist but there is another problem with this drug. It could cause addiction because it is a mild opiate.