In a surprising move, Pfizer reached an agreement with the city of Chicago to follow a code of conduct for marketing opioids that officials hope will become standard practice for other companies.
The drug maker agreed last week to disclose in all promotional materials that opioids carry a risk of addiction and not to promote them for any unapproved uses. Moreover, Pfizer must make clear that there is insufficient research about the effectiveness of opioids if used beyond 12 weeks, a nod to concerns that the drugs are too often used on a long-term basis, which can lead to addiction.
