Self-treatment with oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate to prevent emergency room visits for pain crises: patient self-reports of efficacy and utility.

Author(s): Tennant F, Hermann L

Affiliation(s): Veract Intractable Pain Centers, West Covina, CA 91790, USA. To_veract@yahoo.com

Publication date & source: 2002, J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother., 16(3):37-44.

Publication type: Clinical Trial

Ninety (90) patients with chronic pain who were treated with a long-acting opioid were instructed on use of oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate (OTFC) for self-treatment of emergency pain flares. Eighty-six (95.6%) believed OTFC was effective and safe for self-treatment of emergency pain flares, and 71 (78.8%) believed they had prevented one or more emergency room visits for treatment of pain flares. A subgroup of 45 patients who had collectively used OTFC for 375 months, based on their past experience, estimated they had prevented 1.26 emergency room visits per month per patient. OTFC should be further studied for cost-savings and effectiveness in self-treatment of emergency pain flares.