ADFs: Gimmick or Godsend?

Currently there are more than a dozen abuse deterrent formulations (ADF) on the market, and several formulations that have abuse deterrent properties but do not carry the official FDA designation. This session will highlight what constitutes an ADF, and the benefits, pitfalls, and drawbacks for prescribing ADF opioid products. The ADF product is novel, expensive, and unproven by category 4 status to have a real-world impact on curtailing opioid abuse. While abuse deterrent opioid formulations purportedly meet the FDA demand for safer opioid medications, the expense of these new medications is rarely supported by third-party insurance payers. Consequently, the practitioner is faced with the FDA stating that ADF opioid medications should be considered, yet the patient’s insurance often will not pay for new ADF medications, and there are no corresponding generic medications available. Drs. Schatman and Fudin will highlight data to support ADF use, discuss the lack of evidence to support their use, and the ethical dilemmas associated with prescribing or withholding ADFs from the standpoint of practitioners, patients, and third-party payers. (Recorded at PAINWeek 2018)