A New York Times article reports today that a federal advisory committee voted to recommend banning Vicodin and Percoset, "two of the most popular prescription painkillers in the world, because of their effects on the liver."

The advisory committee is not the final say however; the Food and Drug Administration must make the final decision. The article reported that the FDA often approves the suggestions made by the panel.

A ban on these two drugs would most likely result in a ban on eight similiar painkillers. The ban could have adverse effects in healthcare, such as more stress on doctors and their patients who have chronic pain.

The ban could help limit the number of accidental deaths and overdoses however, a statistic in which the United States ranks very high with. However, the committee did not offer any alternative solutions to pain management.

As an independent review organization, AllMed's job would be to find the best practice for pain management as established by evidence-based medicine.

To read the full article, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/health/01fda.html?_r=1&ref=health