Physician Training Funded by Drug Makers

(Winter 2017) Over 70 manufacturers of immediate-release opioids will now be required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to pay the cost of optional training for physicians, nurses and pharmacists. The instruction will cover best practices for prescribing opioids and include information on non-opioid alternatives. This requirement for the immediate-release drug makers follows an earlier, similar requirement for manufacturers producing extended-release and long-acting opioid versions to foot the cost of similar professional education.

The FDA stated that nine of every ten opioid painkiller prescriptions written in America are for a quick-release version, amounting to about 160 million prescriptions annually. The federal agency said it may also require opioid training in the future.

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