A new painkiller more powerful than fentanyl, more potent than morphine just got the stamp of approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA approved the drug Dsuvia and said they've taken steps to reduce the likelihood of abuse. The drug is in a single-use disposable container. It will not be available for home use of through retail pharmacies and will be used only in medically supervised settings like hospitals. But still, critics are concerned.
Alysha Gould has been clean for three years, now she is on a mission to help others struggling with opioid addiction. She thinks the approval of the new, stronger opioid is a mistake. "I find it absolutely ridiculous," said Gould.
The drug is a single dose tablet that comes in a preloaded applicator used to put the medication under a patient's tongue. The Department of Defense was involved in the development.
"We know the Department of Defense was looking into it, to have it on the battlefield or where an IV isn't available," said Scott Osiecki, CEO of The Alcohol Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board of Cuyahoga County.
"We're really putting our faith in the FDA that there will be restrictions," added Osiecki.
In a statement, the FDA Commissioner said, "The agency is taking new steps to more actively confront this crisis, while also paying careful attention to the needs of patients and physicians managing pain."
