FDA Requires Mail-Back Envelopes for Outpatient Opioid Prescriptions
The FDA has announced that manufacturers of opioid analgesics dispensed in outpatient settings will be required to make prepaid mail-back envelopes available to outpatient pharmacies and other dispensers as an additional opioid analgesic disposal option for patients. The agency believes that this will not only increase convenient disposal options for many Americans but also reduce unfortunate opportunities for nonmedical use, accidental exposure, overdose, and potential new cases of opioid use disorder. The FDA is also exploring whether manufacturers of opioid analgesic should also be required to make in-home disposal products available to patients who are prescribed opioid analgesics.