Hydromorphone: Evolving to Meet the Challenges of Today's Health Care Environment

Due to the epidemic of prescription opioid overdoses associated with prescription opioid abuse in the United States, development of tamper-resistant opioid formulations that avoid dose-dumping issues has become a significant goal of pharmaceutical manufacturers. The current formulation of hydromorphone extended-release potentially provides the benefits of long-acting hydromorphone (ie, continuous pain control, increased quality of life, freedom to perform daily activities) to appropriate patients, while reducing the risks of abuse and without compromising safety.