Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) sent a letter to the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) calling for an investigation into the Food and Drug Administration\u2019s (FDA) decision to approve OxyContin for use by children as young as 11-years-old and an examination of the rise in the opioid misuse, abuse and consequent overdose deaths.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe decision by the FDA to prescribe OxyContin to children as young as 11-years-old is a horrifying example of the disconnect between the agency\u2019s approval process and the realities the deadly epidemic of prescription drug abuse are having on our communities,\u201d\u00a0Manchin said in a news release. <\/strong>\u201cThe Senate must act swiftly to examine this decision, which was made without the advice of an independent advisory committee, and take a look at the opioid abuse epidemic more broadly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn August, I traveled across the Commonwealth and heard from local leaders, law enforcement, and medical professionals about the impact opioid abuse is having on our communities,\u201d\u00a0said Kaine in a news release.\u00a0\u201cThe over prescription and misuse of opioids has contributed to the drug abuse crisis, and I\u2019m deeply concerned that FDA\u2019s decision to approve OxyContin for children as young as 11-years-old will further complicate this epidemic.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe exponential rise in opioid abuse is devastating Virginia and the rest of the country. I am troubled by the FDA\u2019s decision to expand the approved population who use these addictive drugs to include children as young as 11 years old. I\u2019m especially concerned that this decision was made without the advice of an independent advisory committee, which is required by FDA regulations in cases like these,\u201d <\/strong>Warner said in a news release.\u00a0\u201cA comprehensive investigation will provide accountability and transparency about how this decision was reached.\u201d<\/p>\n The letter was also signed by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Angus King (I-Maine) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.).<\/p>\n \u0421\u041c\u041e\u0422\u0420\u0418\u0422\u0415 \u0422\u0410\u041a\u0416\u0415:<\/strong><\/p>\n CADCA\u2019s online course: \u201cApplying the Strategic Prevention Framework to Prescription Drug Abuse\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) sent a letter to the Health, Education, Labor and<\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":0,"template":"","resource_type":[281],"drug_specific_issues":[307],"action_to_do":[],"class_list":["post-17735","resource","type-resource","status-publish","hentry","resource_type-coalitions-online","drug_specific_issues-prescription-and-over-the-counter-medications"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n