Prescriptions for hydrocodone fixed-dose combination products have plummeted since the opioid was rescheduled from Schedule III to the much more restrictive Schedule II, according to new study results.
The total number of hydrocodone combination tablets prescribed fell by more than 1 billion during the first year after the rescheduling. The rescheduling likely resulted in a variety of costs and inconveniences for patients, as well as in the substitution of less tolerable and/or less efficacious