Andrew Putnam Discusses New FDA Painkiller Recommendations

Panel of Experts Speak Live on the Diane Rehm Show

July 7, 2009

On The Diane Rehm Show July 2, Dr. Andrew Putnam, director of the palliative care program at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, and a distinguished panel discussed recommendations made this week to the Food and Drug Administration to restrict acetaminophen and ban the popular painkillers Percocet and Vicodin because of possible risks of overdose and liver damage.

Other guests included:

• Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of the Health Research Group at Public Citizen; editor of WorstPills.org
• Linda Suydam, president, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association
• Dr. Sandra Kweder, deputy director of the FDA's Office of New Drugs

Listen to the podcast.

 

Author: Karen Mallet