FDA offers guide on opioids and animals
Dr. Bandaru Reddy can tell when a pet owner is lying. The veterinarian, who works at Bridgeport Veterinary Hospital, said the human “parents” of his clients will sometimes badger him to prescribe an opioid painkiller for their pets when such medications aren’t necessary.
Reddy said he knows that, often, these persistent owners are really seeking the drugs for themselves.
“I can see it,” he said. “I can smell it. When I say no, they go to another hospital.”
So he and other doctors applauded a new guide from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that offers recommendations on opioid prescribing for veterinarians. The goal of the guidelines, according to the FDA, is not just to protect animals but to help curb abuse by their human companions.
“As we look at tackling the opioid crisis, it’s important that we take a close look at all the access points where these powerful medications can be obtained,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, in a statement release last week.
Opioids have been a huge health issue both statewide and nationwide. In Connecticut, there were 1,038 accidental drug intoxication deaths in 2017, many of them linked to opioids.
The FDA guide was released last week and offers multiple recommendations for veterinarians when it comes to opioids and animals — including following state regulations on prescribing. For instance, Connecticut is one of 15 states that require veterinarians to report when they dispense opioids and other controlled substances to patients.
In the statement, Gottlieb said the only FDAapproved opioid for use in animals — Recuvyra, a fentanyl product — is not currently marketed by the manufacturer. Carfentanil, which is 100 times more potent than fentanyl, is no longer FDA-approved for use in animals after Wildlife Laboratories withdrew the application for Wildnil this past spring.
“The result is a lack of products that are FDAapproved specifically for use in animals, leaving veterinarians to prescribe products originally approved for use in humans when they determine a need for opioid pain medications for pets,” Gottlieb’s statement read.