Curbing The Epidemic of Drug Overdoses

Dr. Robert Califf, the new commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, is focusing his energy on curbing the epidemic of drug overdoses. He told a panel of FDA advisors last week that abuse-deterrent formulations (ADFs) may be part of the solution.

However, many speakers at that panel warned the FDA that it would be a mistake to rely on ADFs to solve the problem.

The advisors are correct. Abuse deterrent formulations (ADFs) are not a magical cure to the problem of opioid abuse.