The FDA is cracking down on certain unapproved narcotic products that are currently on the market. It's possible that some lymphoma patients are taking these right now and are may soon find themselves unable to fill their prescriptions.
What has happened? Some pharmaceutical companies have been creating narcotic pain medications in dosages that the FDA has not approved. There is nothing wrong or bad about the ingredients in these products—it's merely the dosage amount in them to which the FDA objects, because they haven't approved them.
What are the drugs? The unapproved medications feature three serious, Schedule II narcotics: Morphine sulfate, hydromorphone, and oxycodone. These are the active narcotic agents in approved drugs such as Dilaudid (hydromorphone) and Percocet (oxycodone).
What does this mean to me if I take one of these medications? It means that in 60-90 days your physician will have to prescribe you a different version of the drug. It will still contain the same active ingredient(s) as before, but the dosage level may change, something your physician will have to take into account when prescribing you a new medication.
How can I find out if I'm taking one of these products? The FDA has a list of the unapproved products that you can access here.
