A recent ban on an herbal pain pill is now being followed by an even tougher stance by the Drug Enforcement Administration as the agency continues to crack down on pain pill abuse.
In 2017, expect drastic change. There will be a lot less pain medication available in the United States.
We've reported on the devastating impact addiction has on families in our community. And we've also seen how patients with real pain and real need for relief are denied their medication at local pharmacies.
It will soon be much more difficult for everyone to get their hands on powerful pain pills.
The DEA is reducing the amount of nearly every opiate medication that can be produced by at least 25 percent. That includes Norco, Percocet, OxyContin and Tramadol.
Hydrocodone alone will be reduced by 34 percent.
For years the DEA has warned about the dangers of abuse when using these types of pills.
A survey released last month shows 6.5 million Americans over the age of 12 abused pain medication in a single month.
Click here to see more information about the DEA's Aggregate Production Quota for 2017.
