DEA Proposes Another Reduction to Opioid Production Quota

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is proposing a 20% reduction in the amount of opioids and other controlled substances that may be manufactured in the U.S. next year, as the agency says demand for opioids has dropped. The proposed 20% reduction follows a 25% decrease in production quotas that the agency implemented for 2017. The quota was cut even more last year for some drugs, such as hydrocodone, which saw a 33% reduction. DEA Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg attributed the decrease in demand for opioids in part to prescription drug monitoring programs, databases in each state ...