CHOP Anesthesiologist Appointed to FDA Advisory Committee

Ronald S. Litman, DO, ML, an anesthesiologist with the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), was recently appointed chairperson for the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee. The Committee is responsible for reviewing and evaluating the safety and effectiveness of drugs used in anesthesiology and surgery. The Committee also reviews abuse-deterrent opioids and issues related to opioid abuse, and provides advice to the Commissioner of Food and Drugs.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to serve on the Committee,” says Dr. Litman. “It’s my hope that we can help quell the opioid epidemic in the United States by reviewing these medications and voicing our concerns before they end up in patients’ hands.”

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 2 million people in the United States suffer from opioid use disorder, and nearly 11.5 million Americans misuse prescription opioids each year. CHOP is doing its part to help curb the opioid epidemic by taking more holistic approaches to treating patients’ pain with the help of our Integrative Health Program and educating families on how to properly dispose of opioids.