Is the DEA planning to restrict the prescribing of OxyContin® to pain treatment centers or physicians specifically accredited as pain management specialist?
Throughout DEA’s examination of the abuse of OxyContin® , numerous options have been explored and discussed with the healthcare community and pharmaceutical industry. None of these options will be employed unilaterally by DEA without considering the effects they may have on public health. The CSA requires that controlled substances be prescribed, dispensed or administered only for legitimate medical purposes by practitioners acting in the usual course of their professional practice. The CSA and its implementing regulations do not define “legitimate medical purpose” nor do they set standards as to what constitutes “the usual course of professional practice.” DEA relies on the medical community to make these determinations. DEA has a well-established relationship with experts in the field of pain management and has enlisted their expertise in devising strategies to ensure that OxyContin® and other powerful opioids are appropriately prescribed. DEA agrees with pain treatment specialists’
