Last month, the Drug Enforcement Administration abruptly revoked the narcotics license held by the distributor Cardinal Health, preventing that firm from shipping prescription pain drugs to thousands of Florida pharmacies and hospitals. It's the latest tactic in the DEA's struggle to stem the illicit use of prescription painkillers like OxyContin and Vicodin.

The strategies being used by the Drug Enforcement Administration to tackle themisuse ofprescription drugsare ineffective andare preventing the development of new medicines.

States should require that prosecutors first obtain declarations from qualified medical experts as to the good faith of the physician in question before charges are filed.