Lawmakers urge FDA to take action on 'gas station heroin'
Newsy
Tianeptine can easily be purchased online, but the FDA has warned that just because the drug can be purchased legally does not make it safe.
A bipartisan group of members of Congress signed a letter urging the Food and Drug Administration to more tightly regulate tianeptine, which lawmakers say is commonly referred to as "gas station heroin."
The lawmakers claim that tianeptine has "opioid-like qualities" and is extremely addictive, citing University of Alabama-Birmingham research.
Reps. Jeff Jackson, D-North Carolina; Rich McCormick, R-Georgia; John Rose, R-Tennessee; Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado; and Wiley Nickel, D-North Carolina, signed the letter.
They asked the FDA to provide information on research used to determine the pharmacological properties of tianeptine, what effects the drug has on human health, and whether the FDA has taken any steps to schedule tianeptine under the Controlled Substances Act.
The FDA has said that tianeptine is not approved for any medical use.
