Tony Yang, associate professor in the Department of Health Administration and Policy, first-authored a perspective on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recent controversial approval of the use of extended-release oxycodone in children between 11 and 16 years old who experience severe pain. The perspective appears in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Yang and his co-authors, Brian Chen and Charles Bennett of the University of South Carolina, argue that although there are concerns about increases in opioid addiction and abuse, the benefits of the FDA’s approval of these new safety and dosing guidelines outweigh the risks. Extended-release oxycodone is already being prescribed for children experiencing severe pain from cancer, major surgeries, and other traumas, and is typically given under close supervision from the child’s health care provider. The FDA’s approval will help increase medication safety when it comes to opioid use in children. Read the full perspective.