Risk of Medication Errors; Addition, Abuse, and Misuse; Accidental Ingestion; Life-Threatening Respiratory Depression; Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome; Risks From Concomitant Use With Benzodiazepines Or Other CNS Depressants; Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS)

Addiction, Abuse, and Misuse

• Oxycodone Hydrochloride Oral Solution exposes users to risks of addiction, abuse, and misuse, which can lead to overdose and death. Assess patient’s risk prior to prescribing Oxycodone Hydrochloride Oral Solution, and monitor all patients regularly for the development of these behaviors and conditions 
• Consider prescribing naloxone for the emergency treatment of opioid overdose

Life-Threatening Respiratory Depression

• Serious, life-threatening, or fatal respiratory depression may occur with use of Oxycodone Hydrochloride Oral Solution. Monitor for respiratory depression, especially during initiation of Oxycodone Hydrochloride Oral Solution or following a dose increase
• 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.

Accidental Ingestion

• Accidental ingestion of even one dose of Oxycodone Hydrochloride Oral Solution, especially by children, can result in a fatal overdose of oxycodone 

Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome

• Prolonged use of Oxycodone Hydrochloride Oral Solution during pregnancy can result in neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, which may be life-threatening if not recognized and treated, and requires management according to protocols developed by neonatology experts. If opioid use is required for a prolonged period in a pregnant woman, advise the patient of the risk of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome and ensure that appropriate treatment will be available 

Cytochrome P450 3A4 Interaction

• The concomitant use of Oxycodone Hydrochloride Oral Solution with all cytochrome P450 3A4 inhibitors may result in an increase in oxycodone plasma concentrations, which could increase or prolong adverse reactions and may cause potentially fatal respiratory depression. In addition, discontinuation of a concomitantly used cytochrome P450 3A4 inducer may result in an increase in oxycodone plasma concentration. Monitor patients receiving Oxycodone Hydrochloride Oral Solution and any CYP3A4 inhibitor or inducer 

Risks From Concomitant Use With Benzodiazepines Or Other CNS Depressants
Concomitant use of opioids with benzodiazepines or other central nervous system (CNS) depressants, including alcohol, may result in profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death 

• Reserve concomitant prescribing of Oxycodone Hydrochloride Oral Solution and benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants for use in patients for whom alternative treatment options are inadequate.
• Limit dosages and durations to the minimum required.
• Follow patients for signs and symptoms of respiratory depression and sedation.

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.