FDA outlines standards for anti-abuse generic painkillers

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal officials are encouraging generic drugmakers to reformulate their painkillers to make them harder to abuse, the latest in a string of steps designed to combat abuse of highly-addictive pain drugs like codeine and oxycodone.

The FDA draft guidelines released Thursday outline studies needed to show that generic opioids have the same anti-abuse properties as their brand-name counterparts.

Generic drugs receive a streamlined review process at the FDA, which helps speed their path to market and reduce the prices passed onto consumers.