FDA Orders Lowering Pain Reliever in Vicodin

Federal health regulators are "limiting a key ingredient found in Vicodin, Percocet and other prescription painkillers that have been linked to thousands of cases of liver damage each year." (Washington AP, 1/13).

The Food and Drug Administration says "it will cap the amount of acetaminophen in the drugs at 325 milligrams per capsule." Acetaminophen is a popular pain reliever found in drugs including Tylenol and Nyquil. However, regulators now say the drug is dangerous in the high dosages found in prescription medications, especially when it combines with other drugs for pain like oxycodone.

Acetaminophen is "the leading cause of liver failure in the U.S. and sends 56,000 people to the emergency room annually," taking the lives of 200 annually.

As a Chicago medical malpractice attorney, I am hopeful that federal regulators act quickly to make prescription painkillers safe.