FTC issues consumer factsheet on safe opioid dependence treatments

The Federal Trade Commission today released a factsheet to help consumers find safe treatment for opioid dependence or withdrawal. The agency yesterday joined the Food and Drug Administration in announcing warning letters sent to marketers and distributors of 12 unapproved opioid cessation products. “People who are addicted to opioids should have access to safe and effective treatments and not be victimized by unscrupulous vendors who are trying to capitalize on the opioid epidemic by taking advantage of consumers and selling products with baseless claims,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. “We’ll continue to work with our partners at the FTC to step up our actions against unapproved products being marketed for the treatment of opioid addiction and withdrawal.”