The Food and Drug Administration on Nov. 2 approved a new fast-acting, super-potent opioid tablet as an alternative to IV painkillers used in hospitals. The decision came over objections from critics who fear the pill will be abused. FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said there will be “very tight restrictions” placed on the drug's distribution and that it's intended only for supervised settings like hospitals. While prescribing numbers for opioids have been declining for the past few years, prescription use of painkillers still presents a major challenge for combating the overall opioid crisis.
