Pure form of Hydrocodone, Zohydro, Approved by FDA

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just approved the U.S. sale of a pure hydrocodone pain pill known as Zohydro. This pure pill will be classified as a Schedule II drug, similar to Oxycontin and oxycodone, according to various reports.

Hydrocodone is a narcotic pain medication that's typically found in pain pills such as Vicodin, a name brand for hydrocodone and acetaminophen. The medication will be offered similar to such drugs as oxycodone, which is combined with acetaminophen in drugs like Percocet but is also sold as pain killer by itself.

As hydrocodone is typically combined with another medication, it can now be sold as a medication without any other ingredients. The patients will receive just the pure pain medication in the new pill form of Zohydro from Zogenix, the manufacturer.

However, the FDA still shows concern regarding the possibility of drug abuse with this new product.

For instance, those that are prone to abusing pain killers may crush the drug to snort it or dissolve the compounds in water. Some may also use it via an injection site.

This was an obvious problem with the painkiller Oxycontin. Fortunately, a new form of the pill was created that cannot be crushed to snort or dissolved in water to inject.

This new product will not have such a safeguard. So the FDA is set to study Zohydro's abuse potential while it's scheduled to hit the market, and has requested that combination drugs containing hydrocodone be reclassified from the Schedule III drug to a Schedule II, such as the drug oxycodone.

When the drug hits the market, it will already be classified under the Schedule II drug group.

These drugs are limited to a 90-day supply with a visit to the doctor before more can be supplied.