American Academy of Pain Medicine Reacts to PROP Petition to the FDA that Seeks to Limit Pain Medications for Legitimate Noncancer Pain Sufferers

GLENVIEW, Ill., Aug. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) responded Wednesday to the petition submitted to the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) by Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP) requesting label and dosing changes in connection with certain opioid products.

In its comments to the FDA, the AAPM said it shares the commitment of the petitioners to find ways to curb prescription pain medication harm. In its response, which was signed by 12 members of the Academy's Board of Directors, the response expressed the concern that adoption of the three focal points of the PROP petition to limit the dose, the duration and modify the labeling for opioids that are prescribed for noncancerous pain would have unintended societal consequences.

"As the primary association for pain physicians, we believe that the adoption of the recommendations in the PROP petition to lower doses or duration would provide a false sense of security for patients and practitioners," said President-Elect Lynn Webster, MD. "In our view, a more effective means to address this problem would be enhanced prescriber education and adherence to principles of practice, including ongoing monitoring for aberrant behaviors and early signs of addiction." A complete copy of the document submitted to the FDA is available in the Press Room of the Academy.

About AAPM
The American Academy of Pain Medicine is the premiere medical association for pain physicians and their treatment teams with over 2,600 members. Now in its 28th year of service, the Academy's mission is to optimize the health of patients in pain and eliminate it as a major public health problem by advancing the practice and specialty of pain medicine through education, training, advocacy and research. Information is available on the Academy's website at http://www.painmed.org.

SOURCE American Academy of Pain Medicine