New Painkiller Worries Officials

A new painkiller is set to hit the market soon, and law enforcement officials and healthcare experts are clenching their teeth.

Zohydro ER, a hydrocodone-based painkiller, was approved by the FDA in October, and is set to hit pharmacies within the next month.

Dr. Randy Kaplan, Assistant Director of the ER at Charlton Memorial Hospital tells WBSM's "Mid-Day Live" he's reminded of the introduction of oxycontin in 1995, only Zohydro is much stronger.

Dr. Kaplan says Zohydro is five to ten times stronger than any available prescription painkiller.

Kaplan says he forsees high volumes of overdoses, since the pill can be crushed, and then snorted or injected.

He adds there are numerous write-in campaigns to the FDA to prevent the drug in it's current form from making it to the market.