The military pushed it for the battlefield. The FDA went along. Is the newest opioid any better?

In the midst of a national opioid crisis, how badly do we need another formidable painkiller?

This vexing question has been widely debated since the Food and Drug Administration set off a furor last month when it approved Dsuvia, a tablet version of a decades-old intravenous painkiller that is up to 10 times more potent than the highly addictive fentanyl. Critics argued that alternatives exists and that such a powerful opioid could easily be abused by being diverted, despite a prohibition on retail pharmacy sales. But the endorsement was championed by the military, which maintains that such a medicine is needed in combat zones.

There is a more fundamental question in play: Does the drug deliver the speedy pain relief that is advertised?

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