FDA Requires Opioid Labeling Changes to Help Providers Safely Taper Dosing

The Food and Drug Administration recently announced changes to the prescribing information included in outpatient opioid pain medication labels to provide expanded guidance to health care professionals on how to safely decrease or discontinue these medications in patients who are physically dependent on them. The agency said it has received reports of serious harm in patients who are physically dependent on opioid pain medicines suddenly having these medicines discontinued or the dose rapidly decreased, a safety concern it continues to track.