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The government is letting the painkillers Darvocet, Darvon and their generic cousins stay on the market but ordered stronger warnings against deadly overdoses.

The prescription-only drug also is known by its generic name propoxyphene (pro-POX-eh-feene). It’s considered a weak pain reliever yet is commonly prescribed.

The Food and Drug Administration’s action Tuesday means that patients soon will receive a special pamphlet with every bottle that stresses the risk. Consumer-health advocates have linked the 50-year-old drug to hundreds of deaths, from suicide and accidental overdoses.