Manchin is hailing the decision by the
federal Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human
Services to make hydrocodone painkillers, like Vicodin and Lortab, Schedule II
drugs instead of Schedule III.
Sen. Manchin told reporters during a
conference call Friday the change will reduce the number of prescriptions
doctors can write in many cases. Currently doctors can write 6-month
prescriptions for the painkillers, the change will reduce that to only a 30-day
prescription or up to 90-days for those with chronic pain.
Manchin said it will force doctors to
communicate more with patients.
“They’re going to have to be more
involved and if a person calls back and says ‘Hey Doc, I need you to give me
another 30-day prescription,’ and he says, “Wait a minute I gave you 30 days, I
gave you 90 pills, that should have more than cured you or taken care of your
pain. You have something else wrong, you better get back in here.’ That’s what
they (doctors) should be doing. Do your job,” Manchin said.
Under Schedule III doctors have been
able to write 6-month prescriptions, which could be up to 500 pills. Sen.
Manchin said that invites addiction and abuse.
“You’re addicted by then if you’re
using them. If not, you’re selling them or if not, the grand kids are grabbing
them and experimenting with them,” Manchin said. “Something is going wrong
because we’ve had an explosion that basically has to have some control to it.”
Manchin first began pushing for the
rescheduling back in Jan. He said the drug lobby was strong but finally he was
told of the change this week. He said the change should also help police
identify the abusers, both doctors and patients.
“So we can go after some first-class
prosecutions, those people who are abusing it,” he said.
Manchin said HHS is expected to pass along the recommendation to
the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which will immediately begin the
reclassification process.
