In its latest mandate, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took a bold step to protect children from unnecessary exposure to opioids. Several prescription cough medications contain opioids such as codeine or hydrocodone. According to the federal body, safety labeling changes must be implemented on cough medicines to limit the exposure in children younger than 18 years old. This came after reviewing clinical data that indicates how the serious risk of opioid use in cough and cold medicines outweighs any potential benefits of the medicines.
The FDA focuses on two age groups: 6-12 and 12-18. In April 2017, the governing body banned the use of cough and pain medicines containing codeine and tramadol for patients younger than 12-year-old. However, the latest announcement now restricts the use of opioids in both age-groups after the implementation of label changes. According to the FDA,…
