The Drug Enforcement Administration issued an order Nov. 8, finalizing an August proposal to mandate a 20 percent decrease in the production of certain opioid medications for 2018.
The mandate applies to oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, codeine, meperidine and fentanyl.
The DEA publicly proposed the quotas Aug. 7 and invited comments on the proposal through Sept. 6. The agency received more than 100 comments expressing concern that the proposed reduction would adversely affect the availability of opioid medication for patients with chronic pain. However, the agency believes the new manufacturing quotas will still satisfy demand, while also reducing drug diversion.
"These comments were general in nature, and raised issues of specific medical illnesses and medical treatment, and therefore are outside of the scope of this final order for 2018," wrote the DEA in its final order. "As a result, these 106 comments did not provide new discrete data for consideration, and do not impact the original analysis involved in establishing the 2018 aggregate production quotas."
To read the DEA final order, click here.
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