Commonly available fentanyl transmucosal preparations for breakthrough pain in opioid-tolerant adults
An oral, immediate-release (IR) preparation (eg, oxycodone IR) is generally used for managing brief episodes of breakthrough pain not attributed to inadequate doses of scheduled long-acting opioids. A transmucosal fentanyl preparation can provide an alternative to oral IR opioid preparations in patients who may benefit from a more rapid onset of analgesia, ie, 5 to 15 minutes for transmucosal route compared with 10 to 15 minutes typically for oral IR opioids.
Courtesy of Kathleen Broglio, DNP, MN, ANP-BC, ACHPN and Russell K Portenoy, MD.
Additional data from:
- National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Adult Cancer Pain, Version 2.2016.
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