Summary
Opioids and other Controlled Substances have been abused for ages. Some time ago the FDA started to fast-track medications that are controlled substances including opioids that have formulas that block abuse potential.
Analysis
Drugs that are developed with a formula in mind that minimizes the abuse potential of controlled substances including opioids The article cited Oxycontin in a form that once broken turns to a gel. That makes it hard to snort, heat and inject and so on. Where there is a will there is a way. Even these resistant formulations could be broken by someone with good chemical skills to abuse, but it would be more likely to make such a drug from a precursor if someone were so inclined. Of course absent a licence such a facility would be less than lawful.
With the FDA giving preferential treatment to firms seeking approval on New Drug Applications (NDA’s) and Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA’s) also known as generics, that have taken into consideration abuse potential of drugs get rewarded by having time shaved off the approval process. Reduction of the time-line is a strong financial initiative for those firms that have the capability of producing drugs with abuse potential.
Pain will be treated by the same types of drugs, they will just be modified to perform differently to minimize abuse. However, those new drugs unless they capture market share will have no effect on currently approved drugs that can be approved like morphine.
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