Practical Considerations for Prescribing Benzodiazepines and Opioids.

INTRODUCTION The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for evaluating and approving the medications we prescribe. The FDA reviews post-market experience and monitors adverse drug reactions or unexpected effects. One of the strictest warnings the FDA can apply to a medication is a Boxed warning or Black Box warning. “Drugs that have special problems, particularly ones that may lead to death or serious injury, may have this warning information displayed within a box in the prescribing information. This is often referred to as a “boxed” or “black box” warning. Drugs that have such boxed warnings are not permitted to have reminder ads.”1 In August of 2016, the FDA issued a Black Box warning regarding co-prescribing of benzodiazepines2 and opioids: