By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    healthy hobbies
    The Importance of Hobbies for Our Health
    September 15, 2024
    Whiplash
    Understanding Whiplash: A Guide For Healthcare Practitioners
    January 22, 2025
    research chemicals and health care
    Chemical Research Drive Medical Breakthroughs
    June 14, 2023
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Hospitals and Providers Using NHIN (Nationwide Health Information Network)
    March 11, 2012
    Image
    Physicians With High Productivity And Satisfaction Scores Employ Strong Patient-Centered Communication Skills
    May 7, 2013
    My Solution to the Healthcare Crisis
    March 31, 2012
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Zohydro Ban: Disagreeing with Governor Patrick
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Public Health > Zohydro Ban: Disagreeing with Governor Patrick
BusinessPolicy & LawPublic Health

Zohydro Ban: Disagreeing with Governor Patrick

DavidEWilliams
DavidEWilliams
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is trying to ban Zohydro ER, a new prescription painkiller, under a state of emergency he’s declared to combat opiate abuse. I agree with the Governor that opiate addiction is a huge problem in Massachusetts (and many other places) but the attempt to ban sales of Zohydro is a bad idea that’s likely to have a negligible impact on the addiction crisis while potentially harming one of Massachusetts’ most important industries.

The argument against Zohydro ER (the ER stands for “extended release”) is that it promotes abuse by providing a higher dosage in one pill than comparable immediate release products and that it lacks tamper resistant features that could make the pill harder to abuse. That’s probably why the FDA’s own advisory panel voted overwhelmingly against approval and why the drug has taken so much heat.

Historically states don’t attempt to interfere with the FDA approval process, but Patrick argues that approval is only a minimum requirement for sale and that states are free to impose additional restrictions beyond what the FDA mandates.

Here’s why I think Patrick is misguided:

More Read

Medicare Prescription Drug Abuse
Tips To Follow To Help Avoid Surprise Medical Bills
Health Insurance is Expensive; I’m Glad Folks are Finally Learning the Truth
Primary Care Shortage? It’s Time to Examine Medical Education in the US
Social Media in Healthcare—Where is it Leading Us?

The drug does address an unmet need and has real benefits

  • It allows some people who need round-the-clock pain relief and who currently use immediate release drugs such as Vicodin to take fewer pills and to avoid Tylenol (aka acetaminophen or APAP) that is typically combined with hyrdocodone and which can harm the liver

The harms presented by this drug are not unique, and the formulation technologies available to deter abuse are not especially effective

  • Some painkillers –such as Oxycontin and Opana ER– have been reformulated to make them harder to abuse, but others including the generic version of Opana ER are available without tamper resistance
  • Search Google for how to defeat tamper proof Oxycontin and you’ll find simple and effective methods to do so. Sure there’s some value to adding such technologies but it’s no cure-all

It would be bad news to establish the precedent that states could place additional restrictions on approved drugs

  • It really perplexes me that Patrick would promote the idea that FDA approval is insufficient to allow a drugmaker to sell its product throughout the US. Is he nuts? It’s a novel idea, laughed at by the first judge –but who knows how other judges will rule and what other states will seek to do if the principle is established
  • It’s expensive and difficult to get a product from lab to market as is. And, regardless of the merits of the Zohydro ER situation, it’s a bad idea overall to make marketing a new drug even harder. Add more uncertainty, cost and hurdles and it will reduce investment in R&D and may eventually have an adverse impact on the availability of new products for patients. Massachusetts is home to many pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, so I’m especially surprised Patrick would take this step, which is so contrary to the state’s economic interests

The FDA’s decision to approve Zohydro surprised me and many others. It may or may not have been the best decision. But it’s a bad idea for individual states to try to overturn the approval through unilateral actions.

(Photo: Gov. Deval Patrick)

TAGGED:Deval PatrickMassachusettspharmaZohydro
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025
engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

competitive race in healthcare
BusinessFinanceHospital Administration

Why Your Healthcare Competition Is Worse Than You Thought

November 4, 2013

The Benefits of Specialty Pharmacy: For Hospitals & Health Systems

December 12, 2015
accountable care organization
Health ReformPolicy & LawPublic Health

Will Accountable Care Be a Game Changer?

March 17, 2015

Massachusetts Gets Ready to Tame HealthCare Costs

April 14, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?