A FDA review panel recommended last Friday (by an unusually narrow 14 - 12 margin) that the agency remove the pain medications Darvon and Darvocet from the US Market. Darvon was first sold in the United States in 1957 and more than 20 million prescriptions were written in 2007 for Darvon and Darvocet.
Darvon and Darvocet contain propoxyphene. This is a narcotic but it is not a potent pain killer. When used as approved, propoxyphene is generally safe. However, it isn't dramatically more effective than Tylenol alone. Darvon and Darvocet are frequently abused and when combined with alcohol or other medications or drugs, they can be dangerous.
My take on this situation is that generally, less drugs are better than more. But, sometimes medications are necessary and appropriate and when they are, the benefit of taking a medication should outweigh its risks. Darvocet works for some people and when it does, and they use it correctly, it is a safe and effective tool. Like most medicines, Darvocet and Darvon can be dangerous if misused (intentionally or otherwise).
Written by Scott W. Yates, MD, MBA, MS, FACP
