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Drug Safety-related Labeling Changes (SrLC)

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ARYMO ER (NDA-208603)

(MORPHINE SULFATE)

Safety-related Labeling Changes Approved by FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER)

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10/07/2019 (SUPPL-5)

Approved Drug Label (PDF)

Boxed Warning

Additions and/or revisions underlined:

WARNING: ADDICTION, ABUSE, and MISUSE: RISK EVALUATION AND MITIGATION STRATEGY (REMS); LIFE-THREATENING RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION; ACCIDENTAL INGESTION; NEONATAL OPIOID WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME; and RISKS FROM CONCOMITANT USE WITH BENZODIAZEPINES OR OTHER CNS DEPRESSANTS

Newly added information:

Opioid Analgesic Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS)

To ensure that the benefits of opioid analgesics outweigh the risks of addiction, abuse, and misuse, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required a REMS for these products [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2)]. Under the requirements of the REMS, drug companies with approved opioid analgesic products must make REMS-compliant education programs available to healthcare providers. Healthcare providers are strongly encouraged to

  • complete a REMS-compliant education program,

  • counsel patients and/or their caregivers, with every prescription, on safe use, serious risks, storage, and disposal of these products,

  • emphasize to patients and their caregivers the importance of reading the Medication Guide every time it is provided by their pharmacist, and

  • consider other tools to improve patient, household, and community safety.

5 Warnings and Precautions

Newly added subsection:

5.2 Opioid Analgesic Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS)

To ensure that the benefits of opioid analgesics outweigh the risks of addiction, abuse, and misuse, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for these products. Under the requirements of the REMS, drug companies with approved opioid analgesic products must make REMS-compliant education programs available to healthcare providers. Healthcare providers are strongly encouraged to do all of the following:

  • Complete a REMS-compliant education program offered by an accredited provider of continuing education (CE) or another education program that includes all the elements of the FDA Education Blueprint for Health Care Providers Involved in the Management or Support of Patients with Pain.

  • Discuss the safe use, serious risks, and proper storage and disposal of opioid analgesics with patients and/or their caregivers every time these medications are prescribed. The Patient Counseling Guide (PCG) can be obtained at this link: www.fda.gov/OpioidAnalgesicREMSPCG.

  • Emphasize to patients and their caregivers the importance of reading the Medication Guide that they will receive from their pharmacist every time an opioid analgesic is dispensed to them.

  • Consider using other tools to improve patient, household, and community safety, such as patient-prescriber agreements that reinforce patient-prescriber responsibilities.

To obtain further information on the opioid analgesic REMS and for a list of accredited REMS CME/CE, call 1-800-503-0784, or log on to www.opioidanalgesicrems.com.  The FDA Blueprint can be found at www.fda.gov/OpioidAnalgesicREMSBlueprint.

5.3 Life-Threatening Respiratory Depression

Newly added information to end of subsection:

Opioids can cause sleep-related breathing disorders including central sleep apnea (CSA) and sleep-related hypoxemia. Opioid use increases the risk of CSA in a dose-dependent fashion. In patients who present with CSA, consider decreasing the opioid dosage using best practices for opioid taper.

Additions and/or revisions underlined:

5.14 Withdrawal

Do not abruptly discontinue ARYMO ER in a patient physically dependent on opioids. When discontinuing ARYMO ER physically dependent patient, gradually taper the dosage. Rapid tapering of morphine in a patient physically dependent on opioids may lead to a withdrawal syndrome and return of pain.

Additionally, avoid the use of mixed agonist/antagonist …

7 Drug Interactions

Table 1: Clinically Significant Drug Interactions with ARYMO ER

Serotonergic Drugs

Additions and/or revisions underlined:

Example: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), triptans, 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, drugs that affect the serotonin neurotransmitter system (e.g., mirtazapine, trazodone, tramadol), certain muscle relaxants (i.e., cyclobenzaprine, metaxalone), monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors (those intended to treat psychiatric disorders and also others, such as linezolid and intravenous methylene blue).

17 PCI/PI/MG (Patient Counseling Information/Patient Information/Medication Guide)

MEDICATION GUIDE

Additions and/or revisions underlined in bulleted information:

Important information about ARYMO ER:

  • Store ARYMO ER securely, out of sight and reach of children, and in a location not accessible by others, including visitors to the home.

When taking ARYMO ER:

  • Dispose of expired, unwanted, or unused ARYMO ER by promptly flushing down the toilet, if a drug take-back option is not readily available. Visit www.fda.gov/drugdisposal for additional information on disposal of unused medicines.

PATIENT COUNSELING INFORMATION

Storage and Disposal:

Additions and/or revisions underlined:

Because of the risks associated with accidental ingestion, misuse, and abuse, advise patients to store ARYMO ER securely, out of sight and reach of children, and in a location not accessible by others, including visitors to the home. Inform patients that leaving ARYMO ER unsecured can pose a deadly risk to others in the home.

Advise patients and caregivers that when medicines are no longer needed, they should be disposed of promptly. Expired, unwanted, or unused ARYMO ER should be disposed of by flushing the unused medication down the toilet if a drug take-back option is not readily available. Inform patients that they can visit www.fda.gov/drugdisposal for a complete list of medicines recommended for disposal by flushing, as well as additional information on disposal of unused medicines.

Newly added titled section:

Important Discontinuation Instructions

In order to avoid developing withdrawal symptoms, instruct patients not to discontinue ARYMO ER without first discussing a tapering plan with the prescriber.

09/18/2018 (SUPPL-4)

Approved Drug Label (PDF)

Boxed Warning

(additions underlined)

WARNING: ADDICTION, ABUSE, and MISUSE: RISK EVALUATION AND MITIGATION STRATEGY (REMS); LIFE-THREATENING RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION; ACCIDENTAL INGESTION; NEONATAL OPIOID WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME; and RISKS FROM CONCOMITANT USE WITH BENZODIAZEPINES OR OTHER CNS DEPRESSANTS

Opioid Analgesic Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS):

To ensure that the benefits of opioid analgesics outweigh the risks of addiction, abuse, and misuse, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required a REMS for these products. Under the requirements of the REMS, drug companies with approved opioid analgesic products must make REMS-compliant education programs available to healthcare providers. Healthcare providers are strongly encouraged to

  • complete a REMS-compliant education program,

  • counsel patients and/or their caregivers, with every prescription, on safe use, serious risks, storage, and disposal of these products,

  • emphasize to patients and their caregivers the importance of reading the Medication Guide every time it is provided by their pharmacist, and

  • consider other tools to improve patient, household, and community safety.

...

5 Warnings and Precautions

5.2 Opioid Analgesic Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS)

(new subsection added)

To ensure that the benefits of opioid analgesics outweigh the risks of addiction, abuse, and misuse, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for these products. Under the requirements of the REMS, drug companies with approved opioid analgesic products must make REMS-compliant education programs available to healthcare providers.  Healthcare providers are strongly encouraged to do all of the following:

  • Complete a REMS-compliant education program offered by an accredited provider of continuing education (CE) or another education program that includes all the elements of the FDA Education Blueprint for Health Care Providers Involved in the Management or Support of Patients with Pain.

  • Discuss the safe use, serious risks, and proper storage and disposal of opioid analgesics with patients and/or their caregivers every time these medicines are prescribed. The Patient Counseling Guide (PCG) can be obtained at this link:  www.fda.gov/OpioidAnalgesicREMSPCG.

  • Emphasize to patients and their caregivers the importance of reading the Medication Guide that they will receive from their pharmacist every time an opioid analgesic is dispensed to them.

  • Consider using other tools to improve patient, household, and community safety, such as patient-prescriber agreements that reinforce patient-prescriber responsibilities.

 

To obtain further information on the opioid analgesic REMS and for a list of accredited REMS CME/CE, call 1-800-503-0784, or log on to www.opioidanalgesicrems.com. The FDA Blueprint can be found at www.fda.gov/OpioidAnalgesicREMSBlueprint.