Nanny State: Coming To A Medicine Cabinet Near YOU!
As if harassing Cheerios isn’t enough, the FDA has managed to find time to go after another bastion of evil. That evil? Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in the over the counter pain killer, Tylenol. Yesterday, a panel recommended to the FDA that prescription analgesics like Vicoden and Percocet be banned, since they contain Acetaminophen and people have accidentally taken to much, causing liver damage.
Of course, it must be the drug’s fault, right?
Despite a pile of studies that show Acetaminophen is perfectly safe when taken as directed, the panel still decided that the FDA should step in a protect Americans yet again. Now, in all fairness, the FDA hasn’t made a decision yet, and it isn’t obliged to follow the panel’s recommendation either though it usually does. And, quite frankly, if they follow these recommendations, they will really have gone to far.
First, let’s keep in mind that no one was elected to head the FDA. It’s an appointee position, so we have minimal say in who actually heads this agency that is apparently authorized to limit free speech and decide what kind of potential life saving treatments are authorized here in the United States. Also, let’s keep in mind that the regulations they enforce are the very same regulations that they, themselves, create. Congress basically has stepped back and allows the FDA to make whatever decisions it chooses in regards to what is legal and what isn’t in the world of medicine. Following recommendations such as what the panel approved yesterday permits only an elite few to actually shape laws in this country, which is normal…except no one voted for anyone in the FDA.
Second, there’s the fact that the liver damage is being caused by people getting overdosed on Acetaminophen. Somewhere along the way, there’s a breakdown. Either doctors aren’t informing their patients that they shouldn’t take Acetaminophen medications while on these prescription pain killers, or the pharmacists aren’t passing along the information, or people aren’t paying attention. Admittedly, all three are possible. But is that the result of the Acetaminophen? Or is it the result of laziness or apathy?
Personal responsibility has got to come into play at some point. This is a great time. If the doctors and/or aren’t informing the patients that they need to stop taking Tylenol while on certain prescriptions, then that’s a civil matter at least. I’m even willing to accept criminal charges in those cases as well, since it could be considered negligence. These make sense. Knowing that civil and/or criminal charges could be forthcoming should be enough to remind doctors and pharmacists that their patients need to be informed and it must be documented. Then, if accidental overdose results in liver damage, it’s on the patient.
However, it seems apparent that our nation can’t handle personal responsibility anymore. No matter who says it, the most dangerous phrase in the English language is “there should be a law” and all variations of that phrase. There’s no reason to ban drugs like Percocet or Vicoden. They’re great for the management of pain. The fact that they contain Acetaminophen should simply be a matter of patient counceling which both doctors and pharmacists are supposed to be doing.
Instead, our Nanny State would rather we sit around and wait for them to bubblewrap the entire world…for our own safety. Me? I’d rather be free to make my own choices.
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July 2nd, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Interesting article. In fact, it’s almost humorous. Acetaminophen is found in numerous pharmaceuticals, and more times than not, I’ve noticed it used more as a deterrent for abusing some other substance in a drug than as an actual pain-killer, even though it is perfectly legitimate as the latter. But it seems to me that if the FDA were so deeply concerned with our health, they would take some extra initiative to decrease or limit alcohol or nicotine use, drugs with no accepted medical utility. But instead, because the FDA seems to know better than us, they find it necessary to try and “protect” us from a potentially damaging drug, instead of trying to educate people on how the drug works. Hm…so, liver damage from acetaminophen is unacceptable, but cirrhosis of the liver from alcohol is okay? Exactly what drug is the FDA on?
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:07 am
Frankly, I don’t want the FDA involved in nicotine or alcohol either. The damages that both of these substances cause are well documented, and frankly Acetaminophen’s potential harm is outweighed by it’s usefulness in my opinion.
Of course, the overall point, that it allows one potentially harmful substance to slide through while tightening regulations on another is spot on. The FDA is nothing, if not ridiculous.