After the President Donald Trump declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency Thursday, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, offered his support of the announcement.
"Today the [Trump] administration took a historic step to direct additional resources to help address the staggering human and economic toll created by the epidemic of opioid addiction. We thank President Trump for his leadership," Dr. Gottlieb wrote.
During his tenure as commissioner, Dr. Gottlieb has advocated for increased oversight of highly addictive opioids, stricter requirements for reformulated, injectable opioids and a cap on opioid prescriptions.
"The FDA has a vital role to play in curbing new addiction, reframing how we look at the benefits and risks of opioids as part of our pre- and post-market efforts," Dr. Gottlieb added.