WASHINGTON (CN) - The Drug Enforcement Agency plans to take a preemptive strike against illegal distribution of a new painkiller, tapentadol, by listing it in Schedule II alongside the popularly abused substances morphine, oxycodone (Percodan) and hydromorphone (Dilaudid).
The Food and Drug Administration approved tapentadol's safety in November, but its maker, Johnson & Johnson, has to wait to market it until the DEA determines which set of restrictions to put on its movement. Schedule II generally allows for a controlled use of prescriptions, with distribution being carefully monitored by the DEA.
The DEA will accept written public comments on the matter until March 19.
Click the document icon on the front page for details and links to the regulations. The document icon under the "Sockeye, Bluefin, Lead & More" heading leads to other new regulations.
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